NFL Draft grades for biggest winners and losers

Reacting to the NFL Draft always makes me a little bit uneasy. In the year 2026, draft grades and reactions almost exist entirely to end up on Freezing Cold Takes. Never forget that Panthers fans hated the pick of Luke Kuechly, Texans fans hated the pick of JJ Watt, the Seahawks draft that landed Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner received an F, and the Browns were applauded for drafting Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel in the first round. Sometimes, things don’t pan out how we expect them to.

All we can do is look at the facts that we have (current rosters and the draft selections themselves) and do our best to project how everything is going to play out. Here are our top winners and losers from this year’s NFL Draft:

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WINNER: Cleveland Browns – A

For once, it appears as if the Cleveland Browns have a clear roadmap and plan in place to execute it. They added some draft capital to move back and take their guy Spencer Fano at 9, where he was a value, then took two complementary wide receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The defense got some love, too, as Emmanuel McNeil-Warren fell to Cleveland in Round 2. The benefits may not be reaped this year, but I love this class.

LOSER: Los Angeles Rams – C+

The Rams were one possession away from a Super Bowl appearance last season. Thanks to a genius trade with the Falcons, the Rams were picking at 13 with a chance to add a serious playmaker that could turn the tide in 2026. Instead, they went with QB Ty Simpson, likely well ahead of where he was going to be taken. Simpson may have a fine NFL career, but he won’t be a difference maker this season, and he won’t help the Rams get over the hump.

I understand that a counterpoint would be that he is injury insurance on Matt Stafford, but if Stafford were to get hurt this year, and the Rams didn’t have Simpson, they’d have a top pick in next year’s draft, which appears to be a great quarterback class.

WINNER: Washington Commanders A-

I loved what the Commanders did in this class. An organization that has long been known for going all-in and making crazy trade-ups in drafts did not have a lot of capital this year. This led to them being patient and taking the board as it fell to them. Sonny Styles in the first round should be a defensive captain for the next decade. Antonio Williams and Kaytron Allen could turn into starters on this offense alongside Jayden Daniels.

LOSER: Jacksonville Jaguars – C

Simply put, I don’t know what Jacksonville’s plan was in this draft. I’m trying to see it. I just don’t. Thanks to the Travis Hunter trade last season, Jacksonville was already short on picks in this year’s draft. Their first selection was Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher in round 2, a guy who was not in my top-10 tight ends and was not remotely close to a full-time player last season. I like Emmanuel Pregnon at guard, but aside from him, this draft was full of a ton of reaches that don’t feel like great value or strategic decisions.

WINNER: Carolina Panthers B

GM Dan Morgan has a clear vision for this team, and they’re doing a good job at building it. Monroe Freeling should instantly step in as the blindside protector of Bryce Young. Lee Hunter is a plug-and-play human run stuffer at defensive tackle. Chris Brazzell could provide the offense a legitimate downfield threat. And the team drafted potential starters at center and safety on day 3.

LOSER: New York Giants – C+

After drafting Arvell Reese at 5 and Francis Mauigoa at 10, the Giants have received a decent amount of positive buzz online. They drafted two players at premium positions in the top-10 of the draft – this is what every basement GM on the internet will love. But they don’t fit at all with how the roster was presently constructed. The defense already had Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter.

Are they really going to play with 4 edge rushers at once? No. This just feels almost like an NBA strategy of accumulating assets just to trade them for picks at the trade deadline, and it did not address the many needs of the team or the gaping void left by the Dexter Lawrence trade.

WINNER: Dallas Cowboys – A

The Cowboys needed to fix their defense after 2025, and this draft could go a long way in doing so. They added essentially an on-field coach in Caleb Downs, who, in my opinion, was the best all-around football player in this draft. They then went and got Malachi Lawrence, Jaishawn Barham, and LT Overton in later rounds. Athleticism for days, and positional versatility in a new defense. These are solid selections for a team that needed defensive help badly. Jerry should be happy.

LOSER: San Francisco 49ers – D+

It’s starting to become a worrying trend that John Lynch reaches for a lot of his draft selections. But what’s weird is that he makes a habit of trading down. So, why wouldn’t he just keep trading down and accumulating more capital to take these guys where they should go? De’Zhaun Stribling is a fine prospect, but I wasn’t expecting him to be drafted on Friday, lest he be the first pick of the day!

Kaelon Black was the third running back selected in the draft, but wasn’t even invited to the combine, or the best runner on his team last season. They may turn into fine players, as many do in Kyle Shanahan’s system, but man, they don’t feel like good value two days after the draft is finished.

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