3 Picks I Loved & Disliked From The First Round of the 2026 NFL Draft

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and after watching it all unfold, I had some strong opinions on a few of the selections.

With that in mind, here are three picks I loved and three picks I didn’t like from the first round of this year’s draft.

Pick I Love: Caleb Downs at 11 to the Dallas Cowboys

My favourite pick of the first round has to be Caleb Downs going to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys arguably got the best defensive player in this draft class and somehow managed to do it outside of the top 10, all because safety isn’t always viewed as a premium position.

You know how I feel, I like big-time players from big-time schools. Downs went in as a freshman at Alabama and was arguably their best defensive player, then transferred to Ohio State where he became one of the best players on a national championship team.

Downs to me feels like the safest pick in the draft who also has one of the highest ceilings. It just feels like when we look back at this draft in a few years, he’s going to be one of those guys we’re asking how he didn’t go top five.

Even just a few hours after the first round, I already feel that way. I think Downs is going to be a superstar in Dallas, and the Cowboys are going to love having him as a part of their organization going forward

Pick I Dislike: Ty Simpson to the Los Angeles Rams at 13

Now onto a pick I don’t like, and this isn’t the Seahawks fan in me talking. I just don’t love the Los Angeles Rams taking Ty Simpson 13th overall.

I understand that Matthew Stafford is getting older and any year could realistically be his last given his age and injury history, but he’s coming off an MVP season, and you’ve already moved a first-round pick this offseason to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Trent McDuffie deal, so I would’ve loved to see the Rams to double down and take someone who can make an immediate impact this season.

Whether that was someone like Rueben Bain Jr. to upgrade the pass rush, or adding a weapon like Kenyon Sadiq or Makai Lemon to help the passing game, it just feels like there were better win-now options on the board. Especially when we’re talking about a quarterback who, in my opinion, doesn’t have the highest ceiling.

I get the argument that this could be good for Simpson’s development, sitting behind Stafford and learning from Sean McVay before eventually taking over. But I just don’t think he has the physical traits or playmaking ability to become an elite quarterback in this league.

We also know McVay can be very impatient. This feels very similar to his time with Jared Goff. Goff was solid, but when you have a championship-caliber roster, being held back by average quarterback play, it will eventually become a problem for McVay.

I could honestly see a scenario a few years down the line where the Rams pivot again, maybe even making a big move for a quarterback like Joe Burrow if things continue to not go well with the Bengals like they have the past few years.

It just feels like McVay could grow tired of a lack of explosiveness or big-time play ability at the position, and more than anything, it feels like the Rams missed an opportunity to add a true impact player for a team that’s always trying to compete for a Super Bowl right now.

Pick I Love: Rueben Bain Jr. to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 15

For years now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been trying to improve their edge position, and their patience may have finally paid off tonight, as I think they got one of the better pass rushers in this draft class in Rueben Bain Jr. without even having to move up to get him.

The Buccaneers stayed patient, let the draft come to them, and ended up with a player who made an impact every time I watched him throughout the college football season, especially in the postseason.

I understand people have concerns about his arm length and how that will translate to the NFL, but he’s played at a high level his entire career and it hasn’t been a problem, as he’s been one of the most dominant players in college football over the past couple of years.

In a scheme that prioritizes getting to the quarterback quickly, Bain should develop naturally and quickly into one of the better players on that defense.

I think when we look back at this in a couple of years, he’s going to look like a steal for Tampa Bay at 15.

Pick I Dislike: Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints at 8

Listen, it’s not that I don’t like Jordyn Tyson as a player, because I do. Anytime you watched Arizona State last year, he jumped off the screen, so he probably should’ve gone even high in this draft class. But him specifically going to the Saints is something I don’t love given his injury history.

Whether it’s completely shredding his knee a few years ago, breaking his collarbone, or dealing with lingering hamstring issues over the past two seasons, there are real concerns about his durability, and I just don’t think the Saints are the right place to keep him healthy.

If the Benson family are going to continue splitting medical resources between the Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans, I would’ve liked to see Tyson land with a more stable organization that we know prioritizes player health at a high level.

It’s always concerning when a player who’s already injury-prone at the college level comes into the NFL and ends up in a situation that isn’t exactly known for keeping players on the field. So while I’m sure Saints fans will love Tyson when he is playing, I’m just not sure they’re going to see him out there as often as they’d hope.

Pick I Love: Makai Lemon to the Philadelphia Eagles at 20

What can I say? In Howie Roseman I trust.

The Philadelphia Eagles have clearly been preparing for a potential A.J. Brown trade for a while now, and this pick pretty much confirms that his time in Philadelphia could be coming to an end.

The fact that the Eagles were able to land arguably the best wide receiver in this draft class in Lemon, who is coming off winning the college football wide receiver of the year, is just wild to me. Roseman always seems to find a way to get the players he wants at the right value. Even though he had to trade up a few spots, he still secured a great player.

Getting an immediate replacement for Brown and pairing Lemon with DeVonta Smith in an offense that should make life easier for Jalen Hurts, especially with quicker reads and throws, just makes too much sense.

I think the Eagles are going to develop him into one of the more consistent receivers in this class. He only dropped three passes over the last three college seasons, he’s excellent in the screen game and short-yardage situations, and I think he’ll grow into a legitimate deep threat, which we know Hurts likes to utilize.

He’s going to be a great complement to Smith moving forward, and while there might be some rookie growing pains like there always are with young receivers, I think in a few years we’ll be looking back at this and asking how Howie Roseman pulled this off again.

Pick I Dislike: Jadarian Price to the Seattle Seahawks at 32

Listen, I’m hoping I’m wrong about this one because I’m a Seattle Seahawks fan and I want what’s best for the team. I even wrote an article a few months back saying I’m never going to doubt John Schneider again, but to me taking Jadarian Price, who wasn’t even a starting running back in college football, in the first round is a bit scary.

Especially when there were players on the board like Avieon Terrell to potentially replace Tariq Woolen, or a talent like Denzel Boston to complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the receiving room.

It just feels like Schneider panicked a bit trying to address the running back position in what could be a weaker class. While I can respect the idea behind it, especially considering the Seahawks don’t have a ton of glaring needs outside of running back, I personally would’ve liked to see them go a different route.

Maybe even trade for a veteran who can help the team win now instead of focusing on developing a player, especially when there was better value on the board at other positions. Like I said, I understand the need to find a replacement for Kenneth Walker III after he left in free agency, but I just wouldn’t have made this specific move given the talent that was still available elsewhere.