NFL Draft 2026 winners & losers: Raiders, Browns, Cowboys impress; Rams, Vikings take too many risks

Who were the winners and losers from the 2026 NFL Draft? Here is a closer look: 

MORE:Full list of picks made in the 2026 NFL Draft

2026 NFL Draft winners

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are 21-47 since 2022, but general manager John Spytek and first-year coach Klint Kubiak started the turnaround with Mendoza, who can be a culture-shifter with a supporting cast that includes running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. Las Vegas made several good picks. The Raiders landed Arizona safety Treydan Stukes (No. 38) in the second round, a safety who was considered a borderline first-round pick.

Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford (No. 67) and Texas A&M guard Trey Zuhn III (No. 91) were value picks in the third round. Las Vegas made two solid picks in Round 4 with Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (No. 101) and Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. (No. 122). McCoy also had first-round value before a pronounced draft slide. Washington Jr. ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest time among running backs.

That was a vintage Al Davis pick. Las Vegas then traded Tyree Wilson, a 2023 first-round pick, to the Saints for a fifth-round pick. The Raiders used that to draft Arizona safety Dalton Johnson (No. 150), who had four interceptions and seven pass breakups. Even sixth-round pick Malik Benson (No. 195), an Oregon receiver, could contribute to a franchise that had a solid draft from start to finish..

MORE:How Fernando Mendoza, Omar Cooper Jr. made history in draft

Baltimore Ravens

First-year coach Jesse Minter added more talent to the Ravens, and two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson should be pleased with the results.

Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane (No. 14), a first-round pick, has the capability to be a Day 1 starter.

Baltimore selected three pass-catchers, including USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane (No. 80) in the third round and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt (No. 115) in the fourth round. Tight end Matthew Hibner (No. 133), a fourth-round pick from SMU, added yet another option. Those three picks combined for 23 TD catches in 2025. Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas (No. 173) was a fifth-round pick.

The Ravens also added Missouri edge rusher Zion Young (No. 45) in the second round. Minter led a draft resembling his mentors, John and Jim Harbaugh.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 last season and allowed a NFL-worst 30.1 points per game after trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Dallas, led by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, addressed that defense with five picks in the first four rounds. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (No. 11) was arguably the best steal of the first round. Dallas also took a chance on UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence (No. 25) in Round 1. Lawrence had seven sacks for the Knights last season.

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham (No. 92) is a hybrid linebacker/edge rusher who was available in the third round. Florida cornerback Devin Moore (No. 114) and Alabama defensive tackle LT Overton (No. 137) also were solid additions. There should be significant improvement on that side of the ball.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns made smart picks with first-year coach Todd Monken and general manager Andrew Berry, and that started by trading down to the No. 9 pick and landing Spencer Fano. Cleveland drafted a pair of receivers in KC Concepcion (No. 24) in the first round and Washington's Denzel Boston (No. 39) in the second round. Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (No. 58) was projected as a first-round pick.

The Browns added Alabama center Parker Brailsford (No. 146) in Round 5 and Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green (No. 182) in the sixth round. Green put on a record-setting show at the NFL Scouting Combine and joined a crowded quarterback room with Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel. Given the Browns' quarterback history, however, it would not be a shock if Green gets a shot at some point – the risk is minimal with a Day 3 pick.

Rueben Bain Jr.'s draft-day reaction

Call this a hunch, but despite a slide to No. 14 in the first round, we believe the Miami defensive end will have a productive career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bain has arms that measured 30 7/8 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, and that was a major reason he slid out of the top 10. Will the college production — where he had 10 sacks and 68 pressures last season — translate to the NFL level? We think he will be better than expected, and the debate about measurements will matter less. Why is Bain a winner? He had one of the best reactions of the weekend.

Matt Patricia

Ohio State hired Patricia before the 2025 college football season – a move that was panned given the former Lions coach and Patriots defensive coordinator had no college experience since 2003. The Buckeyes ranked fifth in the FBS in scoring defense at 9.3 points per game.

The Giants took Buckeyes edge rusher Arvell Reese (No. 5), and Washington took linebacker Sonny Styles (No. 7) with a top-10 pick. Downs rounded out the first-round picks, and Houston took defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (No. 36) early in the second round. Cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (No. 172) was a fifth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints.

That is five potential defensive starters. Will other FBS schools take a cue from Ohio State here with NFL coordinators at the college level?

The SEC

The SEC didn't win the first round, but the conference still won the draft with 87 total selections – which keeps the conference's streak for NFL Draft picks alive at 20 consecutive drafts. The Big Ten – which had most first-round picks with 10 – had 68 draft picks. 

MORE:2026 NFL Draft picks by college: Which schools topped the list?

2026 NFL Draft losers

Los Angeles Rams

The quarterback question is thick after the Rams reached up to get Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (No. 13) in the first round. There is no question Los Angeles lost 31-27 to Seattle in the NFC championship game, and quarterback Matthew Stafford won the NFL MVP Award.

Stafford, 38, has one year left on his contract – and now the constant line of questioning will be about the timetable for his retirement. Everything will be questioned, and Rams coach Sean McVay's demeanor during Thursday's press conference is proof of concept.

From there, Los Angeles joined the tight end run for Ohio State's Max Klare (No. 61) in the second round and took Missouri tackle Keagan Trost (No. 93) in Round 3. It was not enough to overshadow the quarterback drama from Day 1.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars did not have a first-round pick – which was traded to Cleveland last season to get Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick. Hunter will be a full-time cornerback next season instead of a two-way player, and that's a move that could follow general manager James Gladstone for a few years.

Jacksonville did finish 13-4 and won the AFC South last season under first-year coach Liam Coen. The Jaguars took Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher (No. 56) in the second round, and Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon (No. 88) was the best of three third-round picks. Houston tight end Tanner Koziol (No. 164) was a fifth-round value on Day 3. 

MORE:The 11 worst value picks of 2026 NFL Draft

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles on Day 2, and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski and coach Kevin O'Connell drafted with upside in mind on the defense for replacements. Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks (No. 18) and Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange (No. 82) were impressive at the NFL Scouting Combine, but will they make up for the loss of Jonathan Allen? Second-round pick Jake Golday (No. 51) – a linebacker from Cincinnati – also came off the board early. We do like Miami safety Jakobe Thomas (No. 98) late in Round 3.

Minnesota spent five of its first six picks on defense after finishing 26th in the NFL in scoring offense at 20.2 points per game. Will that be enough to keep up with the Bears, Packers and Lions in the NFC North?

Houston Texans

The Texans advanced to the AFC divisional playoffs last season, so this might have been a luxury draft. Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge (No. 26) is a solid pick, but he would have been available on Day 2. The Texans did scoop up Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (No. 36) in the second round. Houston also reached for Michigan tight end Marlin Klein (No. 59) in the second round during the tight end run. It is a borderline draft for Houston, but it could have been better.

Steelers future QB plan

This is the second straight year the Steelers' quarterback plan made the list. Pittsburgh selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (No. 76) in the third round, which would make more sense if Pittsburgh did not take Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round last season. Mason Rudolph is the other QB on the roster until Aaron Rodgers makes a decision on whether he will return for a 22nd NFL season.

In case you are wondering, neither Allar nor Howard is the second coming of Ben Roethlisberger.

Rodgers passed for 3,322 yards, 24 TDs and seven interceptions last season. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields split time at starter in 2024, and the Kenny Pickett-Mitchell Trubisky-Rudolph trio did not hit the previous two seasons. If Rodgers retires, Pittsburgh might have to go for a long-term answer in 2027.

MORE:Why did Diego Pavia go undrafted?

Garrett Nussmeier and Diego Pavia

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was projected to be a Day 2 quarterback. Few had Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis — who was taken in the seventh round at No 223, being selected over the two-year LSU starter.

Nussmeier was selected in the seventh round with the No. 249 pick by Kansas City, so it's not all bad. He will learn behind Patrick Mahomes, which is good news for the LSU product in the long term.

Pavia went undrafted. The 5-foot-10 quarterback – who led Vanderbilt to 10 wins and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up – was a polarizing player. He likely will sign a free-agent contract.