8 winners (the Jets?!) and losers from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft

Put another way, Mendoza is a winner, a culture-changer, and a guy who can set the tone for the Raiders and finally lift them out of the NFL's cellar. If he can win at Indiana of all places, he can definitely win in Las Vegas. (Plus, it undoubtedly helps to have Tom Brady as an unofficial mentor.)

Loser: The Arizona Cardinals, for overthinking the best draft asset they've had in some time

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love embraces NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he is selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the number three pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If we're just talking about pure quality of player, it's hard to hate on the Cardinals too much for taking special running back, Jeremiyah Love. He can be the exact kind of all-purpose tailback who defines an elite offense and becomes a fantasy football darling for years to come. Love should have no issue dominating or transitioning to the next level of football. He is exactly who everyone thought he was.

But a running back ... at No. 3 overall? Really?

By guaranteed money, before he plays a single down, Love is already the highest-paid runner in NFL history. That's to say nothing of the extremely questionable fit in the Arizona desert. Was Love really a necessity for an offense that already had James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, and Trey Benson? Would it not have been more prudent to get a game-changing talent for one of the NFL's worst defenses last season?

What exactly is the Cardinals' plan and long-term vision? I'm not sure they even know.

Winner: Cam Ward, who finally has a best friend pass-catcher he can really trust

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Carnell Tate is selected by the Tennessee Titans as the number four pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

By direct contrast, I feel like I know exactly what the rebuilding Titans want. And I like it a lot!

Priority No. 1? Don't hang Cam Ward out to dry again. Don't make him try to hero-ball his team from the muck every single week. Get him actual help. Get him talent to match his uniquely gifted playmaking that still flashed on one of the NFL's worst teams last season. Get him consistent support that ensures he's not the only Titans player who can break a game open or put his offense on his back.

Enter Carnell Tate.

In Tate, Ward gets that sort of No. 1 receiver best friend he so desperately needed. In Tate, Ward has someone to trust on third downs and any gotta-have-it plays. In Tate, Ward has someone that he and the Titans' coaching staff, with Robert Saleh, can tailor so much of their playbook around without hesitation. There are two good things you should always do for your quarterback. Get them protection in the trenches and get them someone reliable to throw to. The Titans have started the latter process by bringing Tate into the fold. It's no longer looking so dire in Nashville.

Winner: The Cowboys, for getting the arguable steal of the draft with a simple trade

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs is selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the number eleven pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

To many, former Ohio State stalwart Caleb Downs was the best player, bar none, in this draft class. It was honestly sort of a shock to see him fall out of the top 10. Go figure that the Cowboys would be the ones to snag him for the price of a few meager late-round draft picks just to move up one slot. Downs can be the kind of player and leader who changes Dallas's entire defensive scheme and outlook for a decade. He has the potential to be an absolute star defensive back who has no real weaknesses, no matter how you would even try to exploit him.

And again, the Cowboys got him for a couple of fifth-round picks, which might not have amounted to anything anyway. Go figure.

Loser: Sean McVay, who didn't seem all too thrilled about "his" future quarterback

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson is selected by the Los Angeles Rams as the number 13 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If I didn't know any better, it sure doesn't seem like Sean McVay wanted Ty Simpson as his heir apparent quarterback for Matthew Stafford's (eventual) retirement. Just look at the clip below and tell me who's more excited about Simpson's future. I think the answer is pretty obvious:

I wouldn't call myself a body language expert by any means. It's hard to get a perfect read on people when you don't know the full context of what they've endured that specific day. However, you usually see a coach a bit more excited about a guy they've drafted in the top half of the first round. You usually hear them talk about parts of their skill set they really liked beyond vaguely pointing to a positional battle. Yikes.

McVay seriously threatened retirement a few years ago. It also seems like he would be a natural for NFL broadcasting. If I didn't know any better, based on that past context and this Simpson pick that he clearly wasn't excited about in the moment, McVay might just walk out the door whenever Stafford finally leaves.

Loser: The poor QBs of the NFC South who now have to endure Rueben Bain Jr. after his slide

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the number 15 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I feel so bad for the New Orleans Saints' Tyler Shough, the Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young, and the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. (and Tua Tagovailoa). In a world where Bain doesn't have short arms (or a reckless driving incident that led to someone's death on his record), he never falls out of the top 10. Because talent-wise, Bain was, pound for pound, arguably the top edge pass-rusher available in this draft. He's a veritable bowling ball who should make a living out of humbling offensive tackles for a long time, especially the ones who reside in his division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gulp.

Baker Mayfield is lucky. He's the only one of his NFC South counterparts who will never have to feel Bain bearing down on him from the blind side, and it's only because they're on the same team.

Winner: The New York Jets, for using the draft as a path to STACKING their offensive skill position group

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq is selected by the New York Jets as the number 16 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The excellent initial David Bailey pick aside, the Jets had one evident goal from the first round of this draft.

Get some offensive weapons and stack them all together for the future. Garrett Wilson is now joined by action figure tight end Kenyon Sadiq and former Indiana national champion Omar Cooper to form one of the NFL's most intriguing pass-catching groups. Wilson will still be the primary possession playmaker. Sadiq could own the middle of the field. And Cooper will be that dynamic "get the ball in his hands" type who isn't someone you just scheme or account for a whim. Gang Green should be very excited about pushing this trio together.

The Jets still have to address their need at quarterback at some point. But hey, that's not necessarily the worst problem to have when, on paper, many quarterbacks could now succeed with the Jets' situation.

Winner: Any NFL fan hoping for a little "oomph" to this first round

At face value, I get why football folks are excited about the opportunity of what the draft entails.

It is a symbol of hope and a new beginning, particularly if your team was inept in the prior season. But man, usually the NFL Draft has much more notable can't-miss prospects. Usually, there are a bit more obvious future household names that inspire additional pre-draft hype, especially in the first round. Things can change in the coming years, as they often do once dudes start blossoming as professionals. But from a pure draft night perspective, this one was lacking in the same entertainment value as the draft can sometimes provide.

And I think it has much to do with a first-round class that was kind of average at best and bland at worst. At least we can rest assured that not every draft is like this.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Draft: 8 winners (great job, Cowboys!) from first round in 2026