The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books.
The city of Pittsburgh set a new record, with an attendance of over 805,000 people, over the 3-day event.
257 players had their dreams come true, hearing their names called on stage.
The 1st pick wasn’t a surprise as National Champion and Heisman Trophy Winning QB Fernando Mendoza went to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders also ended the epic slide of CB Jermod McCoy, when they took him with the 101st pick, in the 4th round. The slide was due to medical reports on his knee, otherwise he’d been takin in the 1st round.
There were 11 Ohio State Buckeyes taken, the most in this 2026 NFL Draft Class.
There were 10 Quarterbacks drafted.
There were a whopping 36 WRs drafted.
The Naval Academy had 2 players selected this year. DT Landon Robinson with the 226th pick to the Cincinnati Bengals, and Eli Heidenreich with the 230th pick, to his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. Both were taken in the 7th round.
Mr. Irrelevant (the name for the player chosen last in the draft), is Red Murdock, LB, from the University of Buffalo.
There were quite a few really good classes this year. Teams did really well at addressing needs and playing the board.
There were also a few stinkers, as well.
So, without further ado, here are a few of the best and worst team class this year.
My Cleveland Browns had one of the best draft classes, however, I will be writing a stand-alone article on them, so they are not included here.
BEST – Carolina Panthers.
- Pick 19: T Monroe Freeling, Georgia Bulldogs
- Pick 49: DL Lee Hunter, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Pick 83: WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee Volunteers
- Pick 129: CB Will Lee lll, Texas A&M Aggies
- Pick 144: C Sam Hecht, Kansas State Wildcats
- Pick 151: S Zakee Wheatley, Penn State Nittany Lions
- Pick 227: LB Jackson Kuwatch, Miami (OH) RedHawks
Every single one of these picks, have the chance to be full-time starters, either this season or next season. Freeling might be starting Day 1, because LT Ikem Ekwonu is recovering from a major season ending injury late last season, and RT Taylor Morton is 31 years old and has only 2 years left on his contract.
WORST – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Pick 56: TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M Aggies
- Pick 81: DI Albert Regis, Texas A&M Aggies
- Pick 88: G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon Ducks
- Pick 100: S Jalen Huskey, Maryland Terrapins
- Pick 119: ED Wesley Williams, Duke Blue Devils
- Pick 164: TE Tanner Koziol, Houston Cougars
- Pick 191: WR Josh Cameron, Baylor Bears
- Pick 203: WR CJ Williams, Stanford Cardinal
- Pick 233: ED Zach Durfee, Washington Huskies
- Pick 240: LB Parker Hughes, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
I’m not even going to pretend to know, what the hell the Jaguars were doing. I’m sure this all makes sense in their heads, not only myself, but some Jaguars fans that I spoke to, are completely baffled. I will say this though…. OG Emmanuel Pregnon is a D-A-W-G!!! He was one of my favorite offensive linemen in this entire class.
WORST – San Francisco 49ers
- Pick 33: WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi Rebels
- Pick 70: ED Romello Height, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Pick 90: HB Kaelon Black, Indiana Hoosiers
- Pick 107: DL Gracen Halton, Oklahoma Sooners
- Pick 127: T Carver Willis, Washington Huskies
- Pick 139: CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington Huskies
- Pick 154: LB Jaden Dugger, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
- Pick 179: T Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas Jayhawks
At least with the 49ers, I knew what their gameplan was here. They’re wanting Stribling to be the replacement for Aiyuk…..OK, but there were better players on the board. I do like CB Prysock. He’s a big corner with long arms, and does a good job locating the ball when it’s in the air. LT Trent Williams is probably retiring after this season, and by taking 2 OTs in Willis and Cruz Jr, they’re hoping for a mid/late round steal. It ain’t happening.
BEST – New York Jets
- Pick 2: ED David Bailey, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Pick 16: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon Ducks
- Pick 30: WR Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana Hoosiers
- Pick 50: CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana Hoosiers
- Pick 103: DL Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State Seminoles
- Pick 110: QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson Tigers
- Pick 188: G Anez Cooper, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- Pick 228: S VJ Payne, Kansas State Wildcats
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what the New York Jets did in this class.
They got the #1 rated DE/EDGE rusher.
They got the #1 rated TE.
They got my #4 WR prospect.
They got the #1 rated Slot CB, who CAN play outside as well.
Let me tell you, when Darrell Jackson keeps his hands disciplined and in line with his hips and feet, he just dominates inside. So much potential.
QB Cade Klubnik had a down season, but he has great timing and accuracy on all levels of the field, with a smooth throwing motion. Do NOT be surprised, if he easily beats out Brady Cook for the backup QB spot, and plays significant time if Geno Smith struggles as the starter.
WORST – Dallas Cowboys
- Pick 11: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes
- Pick 23: ED Malachi Lawrence, UCF Knights
- Pick 92: ED Jaishawn Barham, Michigan Wolverines
- Pick 112: T Drew Shelton, Penn State Nittany Lions
- Pick 114: CB Devin Moore, Florida Gators
- Pick 137: ED LT Overton, Alabama Crimson Tide
- Pick 218: WR Anthony Smith, East Carolina Pirates
They had THE BEST pick in the 1st round, with the #1 overall player in the entire draft (safety Caleb Downs) just fall into their lap. After that, they completely tanked. They wanna get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, that’s great, but there were far better options at 23, 92, and even 137. It’s like they just threw spaghetti on the wall, and hoping that something sticks. OT Drew Shelton struggles against good competition, and the NFC East is a tough place for linemen.
BEST – Miami Dolphins
- Pick 12: T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama Crimson Tide
- Pick 27: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State Aztecs
- Pick 43: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Pick 75: WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Pick 87: TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State Buckeyes
- Pick 94: WR Chris Bell, Louisville Cardinals
- Pick 130: LB Trey Moore, Texas Longhorns
- Pick 138: LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh Panthers
- Pick 158: S Michael Taaffe, Texas Longhorns
- Pick 177: WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri Tigers
- Pick 180: TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Pick 200: G DJ Campbell, Texas Longhorns
Other than their first pick (OT Kadyn Proctor), who is going to absolutely fail miserably, this is a GREAT draft by Miami. CB Chris Johnson is a Day 1 starting cornerback. LB Jacob Rodriguez is a turnover machine and is always around the football. WR Chris Bell was a LOCK to be a 1st Round WR before he tore his ACL late last season. He’s a great X WR and will be starting as soon as he is medically cleared. LB Kyle Louis is a tacking machine. S Michael Taaffe can do everything you need a safety to do.
In summary, the 2026 Draft Class will go down as one of the strangest classes of all-time, certainly in my lifetime. Shocking picks, epic slides, a record-breaking number of trades, kept not just the teams on their toes, but fans on the edge of their seats or wondering….. “What the heck are they doing?”
For the delicious breakfast bowls and bagels, as well as high protein snacks, and boba drinks, stop into The Daily Dose in Convoy. Located on the corner of US-49 and Tully Street. Check out their Facebook page for special drinks and menu items.
– by Sean McKenzie
Information courtesy of…..NFL, ESPN, and PFF.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, USAToday, and WTAE.
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