The 2026 NFL Draft first round saw the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets emerge as winners, while the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers faced criticism for their selections. Key players like Fernando Mendoza and Jeremiyah Love were highlighted in the analysis.
Key points
Las Vegas Raiders selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall
Arizona Cardinals faced criticism for picking running back Jeremiyah Love
New York Jets made strategic selections, including edge rusher David Bailey
Los Angeles Chargers neglected offensive line needs in their draft strategy
Kansas City Chiefs traded up for cornerback Mansoor Delane
Las Vegas RaidersArizona CardinalsNew York JetsLos Angeles Chargers
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Jeremiyah Love (R) of Notre Dame poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (L) after being selected third overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Jeremiyah Love (R) of Notre Dame poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (L) after being selected third overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first round and night one of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and most fan bases are pretty excited right now. Their team just added what they believe to be a difference maker and future Hall of Famer who was their team’s top choice this entire time.
However, some fan bases may not be as happy and are upset that their team didn’t trade up, trade back, or select another prospect. So let us take a look at some of the winners and losers from the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders were awful last season and earned the top pick in the draft, which just so happened to be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. He was considered the top pick the entire time, and the Raiders unsurprisingly selected him with their number one overall pick.
Mendoza was by far the top quarterback in this draft, and the Raiders are hopeful that the National Championship-winning signal caller can lead them back to the top of the AFC West. It sounds like Mendoza isn’t going to play right away, and we’ll see veteran Kirk Cousins this season, but if Mendoza does prove to be their quarterback of the future, they just made a franchise-changing selection tonight.
Landing the top quarterback in this draft makes the Raiders a winner for me.
Q&A
Who were the top winners of the 2026 NFL Draft first round?
The top winners included the Las Vegas Raiders for selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the New York Jets for their strategic picks.
Why are the Arizona Cardinals considered losers in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Arizona Cardinals are viewed as losers for selecting running back Jeremiyah Love with a top 5 pick despite having other needs and existing depth at the position.
What did the Los Angeles Chargers do wrong in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Los Angeles Chargers were criticized for not addressing their offensive line needs and instead selecting an edge rusher, leaving their quarterback Justin Herbert vulnerable.
Which players were highlighted as significant picks in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Significant picks included Fernando Mendoza for the Raiders, Jeremiyah Love for the Cardinals, and Mansoor Delane for the Chiefs.
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LOSER – Arizona Cardinals
It’s the classic case of a bad team selecting a running back with a top 5 selection. Don’t get me wrong, Jeremiyah Love is an excellent prospect, but the Cardinals are a bad team that already has running backs on their roster. They have veteran James Conner, signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency, and still have Trey Benson, who they selected early in the draft a few years ago.
What are they doing?
There were rumors they were considering trading out of this pick, which is something they should have done. Collect premium picks and continue to build the core of this roster before selecting a running back that early. We have seen this story play out multiple times before, and it rarely works out well for the bad team taking the running back early in the draft.
Look at Ashton Jeanty’s rookie season with the Raiders.
The Jets will somehow blow this still, but on paper, they did well tonight.
They drafted edge rusher David Bailey with their 2nd overall pick, added tight end Kenyon Sadiq with their second 1st round pick, and would later trade back into the first round to select Omar Cooper Jr.
That’s quite the haul for a Jets team that desperately needed some talent.
Bailey was one of the top edge rushers in this class, Sadiq ran a 4.39 40-time at the Combine, and gives the Jets a playmaker at tight end, while Omar Cooper Jr. will pair nicely with Garrett Wilson to give the Jets some receiving threats for quarterback Geno Smith.
On paper, this is quite the haul for the Jets.
Justin Herbert took a beating last season, and their offensive line was a big reason why he was banged up at the end of the year and why they went one-and-done in the postseason once again. So, you would anticipate that they would go offensive line early in the draft, right?
Wrong.
Instead, they add a 25-year-old edge rusher to their defense while their offensive line remains a nightmare. A few picks after the Chargers, the Texans selected guard Keylan Rutledge, who would have been an excellent addition to their offensive line.
There are still some guards available on day 2, but the Chargers better hope they fall to them, or else it could be another long and painful season for Justin Herbert.
This pains me.
The Chiefs traded up to select LSU CB Mansoor Delane to replace Trent McDuffie, whom they traded to the Rams earlier this offseason, and later added explosive defensive lineman Peter Woods with their second 1st-round selection.
They landed the top corner in the draft and a defensive tackle who looked like a top 5 pick after his 2024 season at Clemson. If both players pan out, the Chiefs added two potential studs to the defensive side of the ball.
Listen, I like Caleb Banks and would have been happy with him at 62. However, the Vikings took him at 18th overall despite the multiple and recurring foot injuries, currently having a broken foot he suffered at the Combine, and coming off a year where he only played 3 games due to the foot injuries.
Banks is a very boom/bust prospect who I thought would go on day 2. However, taking him at 18 is risky despite the talent and could blow up in the Vikings’ face.
This pick would be a big-time winner in the future, but for now, I am calling them losers.
Simpson was a much-talked-about quarterback prospect during the pre-draft process, and many speculated whether he was a first-round talent or not. Well, those questions were answered tonight when the Rams selected Simpson with their 13th overall selection in the first round of the draft.
He couldn’t have landed in a better situation.
With Matthew Stafford still playing at a high-level, he has time to develop and can learn from Stafford. He also lands with Sean McVay, who is one of the brightest minds in the NFL today.
This is a great landing spot for Simpson, and we’ll see how he develops moving forward.
Despite being viewed as a top 10 pick throughout the draft process. Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. slipped to 15th overall and right into the Buccaneers’ laps. Sure, he has smaller arms, but the tape speaks for itself, and the Bucs potentially got themselves a steal here.
They used to have former Broncos edge rusher Shaq Barrett, who has smaller arms, and he thrived in Tampa. Could we see the same from Bain?
Two words
Jaylen. Waddle.
Looking at how the board fell, the Broncos made the right decision here. Nobody at 30th overall or even the top 20 would have given them the same impact that Waddle would have, and they will come out of this draft with an elite playmaker because of that.
