2026 NFL Draft Class Rankings: Analyzing Every Team's Selections

Ranking each team's 2026 NFL Draft class: Chiefs, Browns, Jets crush it; Steelers, Rams, 49ers raise questions

Keep reading to see how your team did -- everything from our favorite picks to best values to most surprising selections

By Ryan Wilson

May 2, 2026 at 2:35 pm ET • 38 min read

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And that is a wrap on the 2026 NFL Draft. Like most drafts, it's really hard not to like what almost all of the teams did. Because as long as those teams filled their biggest remaining needs and didn't grossly overreach to do so, it's difficult -- and silly -- to announce one group as obvious losers without having yet seen any of them play a meaningful NFL snap.

Knowing that, I used three categories to break down the team-by-team drafts: "Drafts I loved," "Drafts I liked" and "Drafts that left me wanting more." Within those categories I also assigned team grades (but no grade was lower than a "C-" because, again, unless you're repeatedly selecting long snappers in Rounds 1-7, it's hard to flunk the draft).

Basically: I would advise you not to get hung up on the labels or grades, but to focus on which picks stood out, which provided the best value and which were most surprising.

I've included my final Big Board rankings alongside my draft grades not just to show my work, but to add context for how I evaluated these players entering the draft. Taken together, that perspective informs my assessment of each class now that the draft is complete.

(One note: you might notice a player ranked, say, 300th on my final big board but carrying a sixth- or seventh-round grade. With only 257 picks, that can seem, well, weird. The reason is simple: I write up close to 500 players, so more prospects receive draftable grades than there are available draft slots.)

Prisco's NFL Power Rankings, post-draft edition: Cowboys set to make Super Bowl push Pete Prisco

Drafts I loved

1. Cleveland Browns: A+

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

1

9

Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

1st

10

1

24

KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

1st

25

2

39

Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

1st

20

2

58

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

1st-2nd

32

3

86

Austin Barber, OT, Florida

3rd

86

5

146

Parker Brailsford, OC, Alabama

6th

297

5

149

Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama

3rd-4th

105

5

170

Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati

4th-5th

160

6

182

Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas

4th-5th

142

7

248

Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU

UDFA

-

Favorite pick: I've been talking up Denzel Boston since the fall, and while landing Emmanuel McNeill-Warren at No. 58 feels like stealing, Boston could have the bigger impact in 2026 (alongside first-rounder KC Concepcion).

Best value: I thought Justin Jefferson had a chance to go 50-75 picks higher than he did. I described him in my notes as "An explosive, sideline-to-sideline LB who plays with a relentless motor, moves well in space, and plays much bigger than his size in run support."

Most surprising pick: Parker Brailsford was getting some top-50 love ahead of the 2025 draft, after he transferred from Washington to Alabama. He battled injuries last year, and this isn't even a truly "surprising" pick because I thought he would end up going on Day 3. But the Browns had such a good haul, that even a player going a round higher than I expected qualifies as "surprising" here. He's a good player who needs to get healthy and add some weight.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: A+

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

1

6

Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

1st

9

1

29

Peter Woods, DL, Clemson

1st

6

2

40

R Mason Thomas, ED, Oklahoma

1st-2nd

34

4

109

Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon

5th-6th

226

5

161

Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska

3rd

83

5

176

Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati

5th-6th

221

7

249

Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

4th-5th

136

Favorite pick: Mansoor Delane is the easy pick here, but so too is R Mason Thomas, who I thought had a chance to sneak into Round 1. He's Nik Bonitto, also a former second-rounder out of Oklahoma, who is now one of the best pass rushers in the league. Thomas adds some juice off the edge for a team that desperately needs it.

Best value: I figured Emmett Johnson would be long gone by the time the Chiefs got him in Round 5, but this was the draft where tight ends got pushed up and running backs got pushed down. Don't be fooled by his 4.56 40 time at the combine (he improved that to 4.49 at his pro day, for what it's worth), he's a  high-volume, versatile playmaker with elite short-area quickness and contact balance who excels as both a one-cut runner and a high-level receiving threat. If you were to build a perfect Andy Reid RB, that would be the scouting report.

Most surprising pick: Garrett Nussmeier is this year's Quinn Ewers. But I've been screaming for years that "fit matters," and while it probably stings to go from "possible first-rounder" to "eight spots from being Mr. Irrelevant," there are few better landing spots than Kansas City.

3. Las Vegas Raiders: A+

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

1

1

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

1st

1

2

38

Treydan Stukes, CB, Arizona

2nd

42

3

67

Keyron Crawford, ED, Auburn

2nd-3rd

54

3

91

Trey Zuhn III, OC, Texas A&M

2nd-3rd

59

4

101

Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

1st

14

4

122

Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas

3rd-4th

106

5

150

Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona

4th-5th

151

5

175

Hezekiah Masses, CB, California

4th

115

6

195

Malik Benson, WR, Oregon

7th-UDFA

349

7

229

Brandon Cleveland, DL, NC State

4th-5th

131

Favorite pick: Treydan Stukes had first-round buzz heading into the draft and every team I spoke with talked up what a great human being he is. He's almost as good a football player, which is amazing given that he's a former walk-on at Arizona.

Best value: Jermod McCoy, all day long. You wish the best for him and his recovery from a knee injury he suffered in January 2025. Put another way: if I told Raiders fans 2 weeks ago that they would land Stukes and McCoy they'd be beside themselves. And here we are.

Most surprising pick:  On the surface, the Raiders did everything right -- there were no reaches, no players that don't fit what they're trying to do. The biggest surprise is how many good players they got from start to finish.

4. New York Jets: A+

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

1

2

David Bailey, ED, Texas Tech

1st

4

1

16

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

1st-2nd

27

1

30

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

2nd

33

2

50

D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

2nd

45

4

103

Darrell Jackson Jr., DL, Florida State

2nd-3rd

61

4

110

Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson

5th

199

6

188

Anez Cooper, OG, Miami

3rd

89

7

228

VJ Payne, S, Kansas State

3rd-4th

103

Favorite pick: D'Angelo Ponds does not know he's 5-foot-8 and apparently, neither do the receivers he faces off against. I think he can play outside in the NFL but will also excel in the slot and in run support. The fun comp is Aaron Glenn … but faster.

Best value: I thought VJ Payne might find his way into the end of Day 2 but the Jets get him in Round 7. He's a high-IQ, versatile DB with elite size and plays with his hair on fire coming downhill in run support.

Most surprising pick:  Cade Klubnik was my QB6 and I had a fifth-round grade on him. I'm not surprised he was picked a round higher, I'm a little surprised the Jets took him … but I like it. He'll have a chance to battle for the No. 2 job alongside Brady Cook (who was forced to start games as a rookie last season) and Bailey Zappe. He does a lot of things well, he just needs to do them more consistently, which is exactly what he told us at the combine .

5. Buffalo Bills: A

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

2

35

T.J. Parker, ED, Clemson

1st

23

2

62

Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

2nd

50

4

102

Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College

3rd-4th

110

4

125

Skyler Bell, WR, UConn

5th

174

4

126

Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU

4th-5th

135

5

167

Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina

3rd-4th

102

5

181

Zane Durant, DL, Penn State

4th-5th

158

7

220

Toriano Pride Jr., CB, Missouri

4th-5th

146

7

239

Tommy Doman Jr., P, Florida

UDFA

-

7

241

Ar'maj Reed-Adams, OG, Texas A&M

3rd-4th

108

Favorite pick: TJ Parker was a first-rounder throughout the process for me. I know he (and just about every other Clemson player not named Avieon Terrell or Blake Miller) had a down 2025 but his 2024 tape was impressive.

Best value: I thought Jalon Kilgore's tape got better as the season progressed in '25. He's a big, physical slot defender who overcame a Week 1 hamstring injury to find his form as a downhill tackling machine and versatile coverage weapon.

Most surprising pick: Skyler Bell and in a great way. One of the biggest surprises of the pre-draft process was learning that Bell was just a shade under 6-feet because he plays so much bigger than that. Throw in that he ran a 4.40 40 at the combine and had one of the best three-cone times of any WR drafted, he'll have a chance to quickly become one of Josh Allen's favorite targets.

6. Los Angeles Chargers: A

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

1

22

Akheem Mesidor, ED, Miami

2nd

35

2

63

Jake Slaughter, OC, Florida

3rd

79

4

105

Brenen Thompson, WR, Miss State

3rd-4th

100

4

117

Travis Burke, OT, Memphis

5th-6th

219

4

131

Genesis Smith, S, Arizona

3rd

85

5

145

Nick Barrett, DL, South Carolina

2nd-3rd

52

6

202

Logan Taylor, OG, Boston College

4th

128

6

206

Alex Harkey, OG, Oregon

5th-6th

198

Favorite pick: Brenen Thompson is a Mike McDaniel pick and I love it. This is about the range I thought he would go off the board but him … in this offense … is going to be a lot of fun. I talked to Georgia CB Daylen Everette (the Steelers took him in Round 3) about how to defend Thompson, who he saw in the SEC. "You better get your hands on him early because if you don't you're in big trouble."

Best value: On behalf of my colleague Pete Prisco, I'll say Travis Burke. Pete – and teams I spoke with – liked Burke more than I did,  and he's a long, physically imposing offensive tackle (he played RT in '25, LT prior to that) who gives the Chargers what they need most: depth along the offensive line. Credit to L.A. for spending a lot of draft capital on the O-line.

Most surprising pick: Jake Slaughter and not because he was the 63rd pick. I thought he would go a round later, and his Florida tape is exactly what you'd want from your NFL center. But L.A. signed Tyler Biadasz in free agency to be the center, and the team has said that the plan for Slaughter is to play left guard. And if he does it well enough over the next few months, he'll be the starter. I think he can make the transition, but it's also worth noting that he was exclusively a center his last three years in Gainesville.

7. Tennessee Titans: A

RD PICK PLAYER Final grade Final BB rank

1

4

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

1st

13

1

31

Keldric Faulk, ED, Auburn

1st

17

2

60

Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas

3rd

76

5

142

Fernando Carmona, OG, Arkansas

5th

206

5

165

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

5th

171

6

184

Jackie Marshall, DL, Baylor

7th-UDFA

358

6

194

Pat Coogan, OC, Indiana

5th

172

7

225

Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma

5th-6th

286

Favorite pick: Every single Indiana player we talked to during the draft process could not speak highly enough of Pat Coogan, team leader. He's going to be a Day 1 glue guy and a solid backup who will have a chance to become a starter down the line. I would have taken him two rounds higher and felt great about it.

Best value: Keldric Faulk is a "get off the bus first" guy. He's physically imposing but he's still figuring out how to put it all together from one snap to the next. You could also argue that he played out of position at times in Auburn. When Robert Saleh unlocks Faulk's potential, watch out.

Most surprising pick: Carnell Tate could end up being a higher draft pick than Jeremiah Smith,

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/grading-each-teams-2026-nfl-draft-class/)._