Top 10 Winners of the First Round of the 2026 NFL Draft

The Top Ten

  1. Cleveland Browns

    They traded from 6 to 9, getting an extra third and fifth-round pick, and addressed two glaring needs, including the left tackle position with Spencer Fano at 9 and a wide receiver at 24 in KC Concepcion, who can be their version of Zay Flowers. Overall, if I'm a Browns fan, I'd be super happy with that draft haul. You literally addressed your two biggest needs in one round. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

  2. Ty Simpson

    I seriously question the Rams' logic here, but if you're Ty Simpson, this was absolutely a win. You get to go to LA to be the successor to Matthew Stafford under Sean McVay in a system that's already right there to win it all. Many people questioned if he was going to be a first-round pick or not, but the Rams made the call and got their guy.

  3. Philadelphia Eagles

    Philly makes a bold trade up to snatch the chain of their in-state neighbors in real time, who were hosting the draft, by the way. They got a talented wideout in Makai Lemon, who had been rising up draft boards in recent weeks, but he falls to 20. He's maybe got some character red flags, but the Eagles seem like a good fit for him. It also seals AJ Brown's fate as not coming back.

  4. Ohio State

    This was a banner year for the Buckeyes football team. They led all college programs with 11 total players selected, including four of the top 11 selections (Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, and Sonny Styles). It's a testament to just how consistent they've been recently.

  5. Dallas Cowboys

    The Cowboys had two first-round picks, and they had a pretty good draft. Landing a guy like Caleb Downs is a total home run pick and arguably the steal of the draft, landing a top-3 player at 11. Malachi Lawrence was a bit of a reach, but I get why they went for it. They desperately need EDGE rushers, and Lawrence can be that guy and develop over time.

  6. Washington Commanders

    The Commanders hit a home run with their pick, selecting Sonny Styles at 7. That was an excellent pick to address their defense that was not good last season. Styles is a freak athlete most considered a top-5 pick, and now they have their anchor of the defense.

  7. Jordyn Tyson

    Despite a history of injuries throughout his college career, he bet on his talent and ability, and it paid off as the Saints selected him at 8. Over the past few weeks leading up to the draft, speculation was growing that he'd be taken early in the draft, and the Saints capitalized on the opportunity to add another receiver.

  8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

    The Bucs needed an EDGE rusher and happily took Rueben Bain Jr., who fell to them at 15. They got great value in Bain, who some considered a top-10 pick despite his historically short arm length. He was highly productive in college, which is what the Bucs were sold on. They didn't even have to trade for him one way or the other.

  9. Fernando Mendoza

    The consensus #1 overall pick for several months now is coming off a historic 2025 season, winning a National Championship and Heisman Trophy, and joining Joe Burrow and Cam Newton in that exclusive National Championship, Heisman, and first overall pick group. He'll have Kirk Cousins as a mentor but is expected to carry the torch in the next chapter for the Raiders. The Raiders have made several investments this offseason to surround Mendoza with support to ensure his transition to the NFL is smooth.

  10. Offensive Linemen Position

    Out of 32 first-round picks, 9 of them were offensive linemen, which is over 25% of the picks and matches the record in the modern era, with two of them, Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa, going in the first 10 picks. This trend shows the importance of investing in your offensive linemen.

    11. The Contenders

  11. Carolina Panthers

    You might be insane if you didn't put this here. They got everything they need to win the NFC South again now.

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