2026 NFL Draft Round 1 grades for all 32 picks

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2026 NFL Draft Round 1 grades for all 32 picks

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints

Fri, Apr 24, 2026 ·

15 min read

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2026 NFL Draft Round 1 grades for all 32 picks appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is now in the books. It was a wild ride with quite a few trades, some surprise picks, and a second quarterback coming off the board at No. 13. Overall, it was a fascinating three hours. How did your team do? Take a look at ClutchPoints’ 2026 NFL Draft Round 1 grades for all 32 picks.

1. Las Vegas Raiders — QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

This was the only pick of the 2026 NFL Draft that was not up for debate. We’ve known the Raiders were selecting Fernando Mendoza for months now. Would the former Indiana quarterback have been the first pick in 2024, 2025, or even 2027? Probably not. But that’s not the Raiders’ fault. They had the No. 1 pick, and they took the signal-caller with the best chance to be a franchise QB. That’s just about as good as you can do.

Grade: A

2. New York Jets — EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech

The Jets picked the best player on their board at a high-value position. That makes this an excellent move. The only issue here is that they may have gone a little too safe. David Bailey should be an above-average NFL edge rusher, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. However, they passed on Arvell Reese, who brings a unique skillset and a higher ceiling that could take this pick from a starter to a Pro Bowler or even a Pro Bowler to an All-Pro.

Ultimately, this seems like the more win-now decision for the Jets, and they are not in a position where that should be the main consideration.

Grade: B+

3. Arizona Cardinals — RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

This is why certain teams get stuck picking at the top of the NFL draft year after year. No knock on Jeremiyah Love. He’s a fantastic running back who will make big plays in the pros. That said, the Cardinals have a bad offensive line, no quarterback, and a suspect defense. This is a franchise that needs to build through the trenches to be ready for its next QB. A running back is pretty much the last thing they need right now (especially after signing Tyler Allgeier this offseason), yet this was the pick.

Grade: D

4. Tennessee Titans — WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

The Titans wanted to do whatever they could to support second-year signal-caller Cam Ward , and with Love off the board, taking a receiver was the next-best option to achieve this goal. Is Carnell Tate a blue-chip prospect on the level of the three Ohio State defenders still on the board? Probably not. Still, the Titans made a bold move that will help their QB for sure, so they get credit for that.

Grade: B

5. New York Giants — LB/EDGE Arvell Reese, Ohio State

The Giants won Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011 by adhering to the theory that you can never have too many pass rushers. That mantra is back in New Jersey as the G-Men take another pass rusher to go with Abdul Carter , Brian Burns , and Kayvon Thibodeaux .

John Harbaugh and company stuck to their board and took the best player available, getting a steal at No. 5. Additionally, with Arvell Reese’s LB/EDGE flexibility, they will be able to get him on the field with the aforementioned rushers and truly make life miserable for opposing QBs.

Grade: A+

6. Kansas City Chiefs (via trade with Browns ) — CB Mansoor Delane, CB

The Chiefs needed to take a corner to replace Trent McDuffie , and they got their guy at No. 6 with Mansoor Delane. The former LSU corner has all the tangibles and intangibles to become a lockdown CB in this league, so the Chiefs hit a home run here. The only reason this gets an A- and not an A is that they had to give up two later-round picks to go up and get him, while they probably could have stayed put and made the same selection.

Grade: A-

7. Washington Commanders — LB Sonny Styles , Ohio State

The Commanders didn’t get fancy or reach for a piece to help Jayden Daniels . They simply picked the best player available, despite off-ball linebacker not being a premium position. Sonny Styles is not any LB, though. He is a converted safety who has the size, skills, and athleticism that fit perfectly in the modern NFL.

Washington had to get younger and more athletic on defense, and drafting Styles here did exactly that.

Grade: A

8. New Orleans Saints — WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

This is the simple case of another team taking a weapon to help the development of a promising young quarterback. There are red flags with Tyson. He has a checkered injury history, and despite playing for the legendarily tough Hines Ward, there are question marks about Tyson’s own mettle. However, with his size and skill, the former Arizona State wideout certainly has the tools to e the best pass-catcher in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Grade: B+

9. Cleveland Browns (via trade with Chiefs) — OT Spencer Fano, Utah

Are the Browns becoming one of the smarter teams in the NFL Draft? For the second year in a row, Cleveland simply moved back, added extra draft capital, and still got the guy they likely would have taken at No. 6. Spencer Fano is a plug-and-play offensive lineman who will help in the run game and make [fill in Browns QB here]’s life a lot easier and more comfortable. Nice piece of business all around from the Browns.

Grade: A

10. New York Giants — OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami

The Giants are absolutely #WINNING in this draft. At pick No. 10, Big Blue gets its second A+ in ClutchPoints’ 2026 NFL Draft grades. Francis Mauigoa is arguably the best offensive lineman in this class, and if the Giants had picked him at No. 5, it would have been completely defensible. Instead, they get him at 10, and with that, a player who will be a starting RT or guard in 2026 and a potential Pro Bowler at either position long into the future.

Grade: A+

11. Dallas Cowboys (via trade with Dolphins) — S Caleb Downs , Ohio State

The Cowboys gave up two fifth-round picks to move up one spot to get Caleb Downs. This means Jerry Jones was worried another team was going to trade up ahead of them, although it’s unclear which team that would have been.

Trade aside, the Cowboys drafted a position of need here and got arguably the best overall playmaker in this draft. Downs will immediately make the other 10 Dallas defenders he plays with better, and that’s a big win in Big D.

Grade: A-

12. Miami Dolphins (via trade with Cowboys) — OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

The run on offensive linemen has begun as the Dolphins scoop up massive former Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor. The big man was a draft-week riser in the past few days, and this was just about as high as anyone had him going. What this does confirm is that the Dolphins are in full Packers mode with their new brain trust. This franchise will now build from the trenches out, and it starts with a 350-plus-pound lineman.

Grade: A

13. Los Angeles Rams — QB Ty Simpson , Alabama

This is an understandable pick for a team with a 38-year-old QB, but also a head-scratcher for a team that has Super Bowl or bust aspirations in 2026. So, what is the tiebreaker here as to whether this is a good pick or not? How about the fact that Ty Simpson doesn’t feel at all like a first-round pick?

Sean McVay has forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know, so it’s tough to doubt his QB selection. Still, Simpson seems like a QB with Kirk Cousins-like upside at best, and that’s a little rich at 13.

Grade: C+

14. Baltimore Ravens — OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

This was one of the most-mocked picks in the entire 2026 NFL Draft. Every year, it seems that the Ravens simply sit where they are and take the most talented football player on the board, regardless of positional value. This year, that player was Vega Ioane, and the position was guard, which is a significant need for the Ravens anyway.

It may be a new era in Baltimore with Harbaugh gone, but the Ravens front office still does what it does, and that’s why they are perennial contenders.

Grade: A

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

The Buccaneers must have been jumping for joy as the 2026 NFL Draft fell as it did. Sure, there are question marks about Rueben Bain Jr., especially with his historically short arms, but the tape is undeniable. Before scouts measured his arms at the combine, Bain was a top-five pick. After, he slipped all the way to 15 where the Buccaneers scooped him up and finally got the premier pass rusher they have been seeking for a long time.

Grade: A+

16. New York Jets — TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kenyon Sadiq is the fastest tight end in NFL Draft history, but is he actually a TE? Or is he just a WR in a big body? Either way, the Jets add a formidable weapon despite having only Geno Smith to get him the ball. There were still a few intriguing WRs on the board at this point, so this was a little surprising, but overall not a bad selection.

Grade: B

17. Detroit Lions — OT Blake Miller, Clemson

This is a Dan Campbell player through and through. Blake Miller is an Iron Man and a nasty right tackle who will fill the team’s need at OT right away. He has some technical flaws and doesn’t have the upside of a player like Monroe Freeling, but this is a perfect match of team and player.

Grade: A-

18. Minnesota Vikings — DT Caleb Banks, Florida

Just as we were recovering from the Rams’ QB pick, we got another shocking selection. Caleb Banks is 6-foot-6 1/4, 327 pounds , and moves like a man five inches shorter and 100 pounds lighter. The production wasn’t great in Florida, and there are injury concerns, including a foot injury, which is never good for a man his size. This is a gamble, but it also fills a huge need for the Vikings.

Right now, we’ll give this a B- in our 2026 NFL Draft Grades, but if Banks stays healthy and plays up to his potential, this could be an A+ down the line.

Grade: B-

19. Carolina Panthers — OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

Monroe Freeling is the best pure left tackle prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, and his upside is tremendous. With just 18 starts in three seasons, though, he’s still incredibly raw. With Ikem Ekwonu working his way back from a knee injury and Taylor Moton turning 32 ahead of next season, this fills a short-term and long-term need for Carolina. They are a franchise that can afford to wait a little on upside like this, making this a smart choice by Dan Morgan.

Grade: B+

20. Philadelphia Eagles (via trade with Cowboys) — WR Makai Lemon, USC

Howie Roseman gets the benefit of the doubt after his draft day heaters the last few years. However, there are several red flags here. He traded up, he traded with the Cowboys, and he is adding a player with a “unique” personality to an offense and a locker room that is already a bit of a mess. Makai Lemon has talent, but he doesn’t excel in one area. This is probably a good pick because that’s what Roseman does, but it just doesn’t feel like a normal Howie pick right now.

Grade: C+

21. Pittsburgh Steelers — OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

With Broderick Jones’ injury issues , tackle became a major need for the Steelers in the last week or so. They had to make this pick, and Max Iheanachor is incredibly athletic, but the former Sun Devil is just still so raw. Pittsburgh would have loved to get a more ready-to-play lineman, but they got one with a ton of upside, so that’s about the best they could do in a tough situation.

Grade: B+

22. Los Angeles Chargers — EDGE Akheem Mesidor , Miami

The Chargers need a pass rusher to first supplement and then replace Khalil Mack . Akheem Mesidor is a player who can do both those things, especially with his inside/outside flexibility. Yes, he is an older prospect, but the Chargers are a team looking to win in the next few years, so they aren’t worried about his next contract.

Grade: A

23. Dallas Cowboys (via trade with Eagles) — EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF

Jerry Jones set out to improve his defense in the 2026 NFL Draft, and at first glance, he achieved that goal. Malachi Lawrence is a smaller-school prospect who has been rising up draft boards since the combine. Lawrence has an NFL body at 6-foot-4 3/8, 254 pounds, and has impressed at every step in the draft process. He still needs to prove he can do it against better competition, but Lawrence has all the tools to help solidify the Cowboys’ O-line.

Grade: B+

24. Cleveland Browns — KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

The Browns needed to come away from the 2026 NFL Draft first round with an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. After drafting Fano at the top of the round, Cleveland got its WR at 24. KC Concepcion is one of the most dangerous weapons in this draft class with his run-after-catch and kick return ability. The former Aggie will help take a massive load off of [fill in Browns QB here] next season.

Grade: A

25. Chicago Bears — S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

The Bears lost both their safeties in free agency this offseason and needed to add a playmaker back there. Dillon Thieneman was mocked in the teens in a plurality of 2025 NFL Mock Drafts, so staying put and getting him at 25 is an excellent piece of business for Ryan Poles and his crew. Defense was the priority in Round 1, so it’s a perfect selection.

Grade: A

26. Houston Texans (via trade with Bills) — OG Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

The Texans obviously got the player they wanted because they traded up two spots to do so. They also filled a position of need, which is a good thing. That said, with Chase Bisontis and Emmanuel Pregnon still on the board, it’s a little troubling they traded up for this player instead of waiting at 28 and probably having their pick of any of those three solid guard prospects.

Grade: C

27. Miami Dolphins (via trade with 49ers ) — CB Chris Johnson , San Diego State

Chris Johnson is a versatile corner with good size and athleticism. The Dolphins’ CB room is abysmal right now, so taking that position makes sense. Whether Johnson is better than Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood, or Aveion Terrell remains to be seen, so a B+ is as high as we can go here.

Grade: B+

28. New England Patriots (via trade with Texans, Bills) — OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

This draft pick is the embodiment of the eyes emoji. Not only did the Patriots trade with a division rival to get this pick, but they also took an offensive lineman who was exclusively a LEFT tackle at Utah. What does this mean for last year’s No. 4 overall pick, Will Campbell ? At first glance, it may suggest the short-armed LSU alum may be moving to the right side or even over to guard.

Grade: B+

29. Kansas City Chiefs — DT Peter Woods, Clemson

Getting a defensive tackle as a running mate and eventual replacement for Chris Jones is a good move for the Chiefs. The question is, can Peter Woods return to his 2024 form, or is his 2025 season more in line with who he’ll be in the NFL? If it’s the former, this pick is an A. If it’s the latter, it’s a C, so we’ll average that out to a B.

Grade: B

30. New York Jets (via trade with Dolphins, 49ers) — WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

The Jets made up for passing on WR at 16 by trading back into the first round and taking Omar Cooper Jr. The former Hoosier is tough, fast, and does it all as a wideout. This is a pick that could dramatically change the offense when they finally get a quarterback, and it will even make life better for Geno Smith next season.

Grade: B+

31. Tennessee Titans (via trade with Patriots, Bills) — EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn

The Titans passed on a pass rusher at the top of the round, but they traded back in to get one at 31. Keldric Faulk is a great pick for the Titans, as he is young and raw but incredibly talented. He has great character and could become a defensive captain for the Titans within a few years. Robert Saleh will help him develop, so if Faulk has as much potential as it seems, this is a steal.

Grade: A

32. Seattle Seahawks — RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

This pick makes sense for the Seahawks, as they need a running back to replace Kenneth Walker. Additionally, the RB class falls off a cliff after Price, so if they waited on a runner, the talent would drop off dramatically. Price isn’t Love, but he has all the tools to be a great back on a good team like the Seahawks.

Grade: A-

Related: 2026 Day 2 NFL Mock Draft

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