2026 NFL Draft Buzz: Chiefs have the best draft, Bears and Saints raise questions

The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and now that things have settled, it is time to look at which teams stood out. This starts with the Kansas City Chiefs, who consistently found value throughout the draft and walked away with the best class. On the other end, teams like the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints took some major risks, with the Bears failing to address key needs on Day Two and the Saints betting on an injury-plagued wide receiver. All that and more is covered in this week’s NFL Draft Buzz.

Chiefs come away with the best draft class

It is always too early to hand out final grades for an NFL Draft class. That takes a few years to truly evaluate. But based on value, fit, and how closely teams stuck to my board, the Kansas City Chiefs had the best draft in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kansas City set the tone early by trading up to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the sixth overall pick. I had Delane as the top cornerback in the class by a wide margin, and he has the ability to develop into one of the best at the position in the NFL. They followed that up by landing the top defensive tackle on my board, Peter Woods, with the twenty-ninth overall pick, giving them a dominant presence on the interior.

On Day Two, the Chiefs only had one pick but still found elite value with defensive end R Mason Thomas at fortieth overall. He was the defensive end I would stand on the table for in this class. His quickness and ability to bend around the edge make him a dangerous pass rusher, which showed up in his 90.4 PFF pass rush grade this past season.

They kept stacking value on the final day. Getting LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier that late was a steal, especially considering I had him as my third-ranked quarterback in the class. Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson was another strong addition, bringing contact balance as a runner and proven ability as a receiver out of the backfield.

Across all three days, the Chiefs consistently landed top players from my board while filling key needs. No team matched their combination of value and fit, which is why they come away with the best draft class this year. If this group develops the way it should, this class will play a major role in getting Kansas City back into Super Bowl contention.

Saints big risk 

The Saints made one of the riskiest picks in the top ten of the 2026 NFL Draft when they took Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick. The biggest concern is his long injury history. He had a hamstring injury that shortened his season this year, a broken collarbone in 2024, and tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL in 2022, which cost him most of the 2023 season. Overall, he has missed 34% of his team’s games over the past four years, which is tough to overlook.

While the injury history is longer than I would be comfortable with that early in the draft, the production is hard to ignore. Tyson was named a third-team All-American despite playing in just nine games, finishing with 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns this. His best season came in 2024 when he accounted for 54% of Arizona State’s receiving yards and was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

He also has clear NFL traits, starting with his quickness. He consistently creates separation even when defenses are keying on him. That quickness, combined with his strength, makes him dangerous after the catch. He also has strong hands, attacking the ball in the air and finishing with just one drop last season.

There is no question Tyson has the talent to be a high-quality receiver in the NFL, but the injury history makes this a major risk this early in the draft.

Simpson lands in ideal situation

One player who couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot is Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who went to the Los Angeles Rams with the thirteenth overall pick. This fit makes a lot of sense for two main reasons, his playing style and the situation he’s walking into.

From a scheme standpoint, it lines up perfectly. The Rams ask their quarterback to make quick reads, be accurate, protect the football, and operate from the pocket. That’s exactly where Simpson is at his best. He has one of the smoothest throwing motions in the 2026 NFL Draft, which helps him get the ball out quickly, and that should only look better in a more structured system with a stronger supporting cast than what he had at Alabama. His accuracy also stands out. He completed 65% of his passes in his first season as a starter, and that came with a receiver group that dropped 30 passes. Decision-making is another strength, as he threw just five interceptions compared to 28 touchdowns, even while dealing with consistent pressure.

The situation around him is just as important. He is not being rushed onto the field, as there is no chance he replaces reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford right away. That gives him time to develop and adjust to the NFL. He also lands with Sean McVay, who runs one of the more quarterback-friendly offenses in the league and has a strong track record of getting the most out of his quarterbacks.

Put it all together, and this is about as clean of a setup as you can ask for. If things develop the right way, Simpson has a real shot to turn into a long-term starter and could end up outperforming Fernando Mendoza, who went first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Bears questionable Day 2

One team that had a confusing Day 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft is the Chicago Bears. The biggest issue is they completely ignored the defensive side of the ball, which was clearly their biggest weakness going in, despite having three Day 2 picks. Instead, they added three players who likely won’t see much playing time right away.

They opened the day with Iowa center Logan Jones, which was really the only pick that made sense. Jones is a high-level prospect who won the Rimington Award and was the center I would stand on the table for in the 2026 NFL Draft. He brings mobility, a high football IQ, and technically sound play, which fits well in Ben Johnson’s offense. With Garrett Bradbury being more of an average starter and entering the final year of his deal, this was easily their best move on Day Two.

After that, things got questionable. They took tight end Sam Roush early in the third round. I like Roush and had him as one of the better sleepers in the class, but the fit just doesn’t add up. The Bears are already set at tight end with Colston Loveland as their top option and Cole Kmet as a reliable second. That makes Roush the third tight end on the roster, which is tough to justify for a team that still has major needs on the defensive line.

Then came the real head-scratcher with LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas. I didn’t even have a draftable grade on him, and most analysts viewed him as a late-round option. He finished last season with just 488 receiving yards and averaged 11.9 yards per catch, which doesn’t match the profile of a third-round pick, even with his 4.28 speed. There is some value there as a special teams player and a developmental deep threat, but that’s more of a fifth- or sixth-round type of move, not where they took him.

What makes it worse is who they passed on. Auburn defensive lineman Keyron Crawford was sitting there and would have filled a major need if the Bears had stayed at the sixtieth overall pick instead of trading down. Oklahoma’s Gracen Halton, who flashes impressive athletic ability with a 4.82 40-yard dash and a 36.5-inch vertical that led all defensive tackles at the NFL Combine, along with showing the ability to get after the quarterback, was another solid developmental option on the defensive line. Even cornerback Jermod McCoy, despite the injury concerns, brings much higher upside than Zavion Thomas and could have been taken with either of their third-round picks. The Bears had multiple chances to address their biggest weakness and didn’t take advantage of any of them, which makes this Day Two tough to justify. 

Top undrafted free agents

Even though 257 players heard their name called during the 2026 NFL Draft, there is still plenty of talent left over. Every year, a handful of undrafted free agents end up sticking on rosters, and this class has several players with a real shot to do the same.

The highest-ranked player on my board who went undrafted is Wisconsin defensive end Mason Reiger. He was the only player I had inside my top 100, coming in at ninety-first overall, who didn’t get selected. He signed with the Miami Dolphins, and they are getting a defensive end with ideal length at 6-foot-5 and good burst off the ball. That showed up in his production with 45 pressures last season, giving him a legit chance to carve out a role.

On the offensive side, Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson was the highest-ranked undrafted player. He is more of a traditional pocket passer who averaged over 300 passing yards per game this season. He fits as a developmental option and should have a strong shot to land on the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad, especially if he can clean up his accuracy during camp.

Here are the top ten undrafted free agents from my board:

1. Mason Reiger, DE, Wisconsin — signed with the Miami Dolphins
2. Deontae Lawson, MLB, Alabama — signed with the Philadelphia Eagles
3. Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor — signed with the Las Vegas Raiders
4. Taurean York, MLB, Texas A&M — signed with the Denver Broncos
5. Eric Gentry, OLB, USC — signed with the Cincinnati Bengals
6. Caden Barnett, OG, Wyoming — signed with the Chicago Bears
7. Lake McRee, TE, USC — signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati — signed with the Kansas City Chiefs
9. Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor — signed with the Dallas Cowboys
10. Isaiah World, OT, Oregon — signed with the Los Angeles Chargers

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