The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books.
Below, we take a closer look at teams’ respective draft classes, what lies ahead and more:
Statement: Arizona Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love could have disappointing rookie season similar to that of Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty
The Cardinals took Notre Dame Fighting Irish RB Love with pick No. 3 of the 2026 draft, a questionable choice. Arizona lacks the offensive line depth to justify taking a RB that high.
Per Pro Football Reference, the Cardinals ranked 27th in the NFL in yards before contact (949 on 366 attempts) last season. Yards before contact measures how many yards a runner gains before he gets hit. It’s considered a reliable way to gauge whether an O-line is holding its blocks in the run game.
The Raiders, meanwhile, ranked last in this stat (601 yards before contact on 369 rushing attempts), contributing to Jeanty’s struggles. The sixth pick of the 2025 draft averaged a below-average 3.7 yards per carry (975 yards on 266 carries). It’s easy to envision a similar year for Love, despite finishing eighth in the country in rushing yards (1,372) last season. | TRUE
Statement: Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza should be clear Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite
The Raiders may have had one of the strongest drafts, adding Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Mendoza (pick No. 1) and Texas A&M Aggies center Trey Zuhn III (pick No. 91), who earned a 2025 first-team All-SEC nod.
That’s not enough to improve a team that went 3-14 last season. Vegas failed to address right tackle in the draft, which remains an issue. Pro Football Focus gave starting RT DJ Glaze a subpar 63.3 pass-blocking grade in 2025.
Vegas didn’t provide 2025 Heisman winner Mendoza (41 TD passes in 2025, No. 1 in FBS) with multiple quality pass-catchers, either. The Raiders took Oregon Ducks WR Malik Benson (pick No. 195), who ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. However, he never had more than 719 receiving yards in his three-year career, which included stops with the Florida State Seminoles and the Alabama Crimson Tide. | FALSE
Statement: New Orleans Saints second-year QB Tyler Shough should be poised for breakout after 2026 draft
The Saints had one assignment during the 2026 draft: Find as many weapons for 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Shough as they could. New Orleans may have done that with its selections.
The NFC South squad took Arizona State Sun Devils WR Jordyn Tyson (pick No. 8) and North Dakota State Bison WR Bryce Lance (pick No. 136), brother of Los Angeles Chargers QB Trey. Tyson had 18 touchdown catches over his past two seasons with the Sun Devils, while Bryce Lance logged 25.
The new pass-catchers improve a receiving corps that already features WR Chris Olave, a 2025 second-team All-Pro. | TRUE
Statement: Arkansas Razorbacks star Taylen Green will make noise in Cleveland Browns starting QB competition
ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. shouldn’t worry about Green (pick No. 182) being a threat for Browns QB Shedeur Sanders, one of his favorite prospects from the 2025 draft. The QB, of course, is competing with Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel for the starting job.
Green showcased elite speed at the combine, running a 4.36 40-yard dash, but he’s inaccurate. The passer completed 198-of-326 passes (60.7 percent, below average) in his final season at Arkansas. | FALSE
The Jets took Bailey with pick No. 2 instead of Ohio State Buckeyes LB Arvell Reese (who went No. 5 overall to the New York Giants). The Ohio State star is widely believed to have more upside, but the Texas Tech standout is more pro-ready.
Bailey tied for the FBS lead in sacks (14.5) last season, while Reese recorded 6.5. And some of his concerns about his run defense are overblown. PFF credited him with 32 stops last season, 27th among edge-rushers. (Stops are run plays that count as wins for a defense, such as preventing a ball-carrier from gaining a first down on third down.) | TRUE
Statement: The Dallas Cowboys will have most improved defense in the NFL
The Cowboys grabbed Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (pick No. 11), who may be a generational talent, to jump-start a defense that allowed a league-leading 30.1 points per game last season. In three seasons with the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes, he had six interceptions and earned two first-team All-American nods. Dallas’ other prospects aren’t as polished.
During the draft, a hot mic caught former Alabama coach/ESPN analyst Nick Saban saying the Cowboys’ selection of UCF Knights edge-rusher Malachi Lawrence (pick No. 23) was a reach, and he may be right. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Lawrence (seven sacks in 2025) a second-round grade, noting he didn’t face elite tackles in college. | FALSE
Statement: Seattle Seahawks have found potential Kenneth Walker III replacement in Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price
The Seahawks took Price with pick No. 32 of the draft to replace Super Bowl LX MVP Walker, who signed a three-year, $43.05M deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Price never started in three seasons at Notre Dame, but don’t let that fool you; he’s among the most talented backs in the class.
“JD can do everything I can do,” Love told USA Today’s Jacob Camenker before the draft.
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