By Henry Hansen
- Rueben Bain Jr., TB
With the 15th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Rueben Bain Jr. out of Miami. Bain was the best edge-rusher in College Football this year, and somehow fell to pick 15. This is the steal of the draft, and I cannot rate any pick’s value higher.
- Jermod McCoy, LV
With the 101st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Jermod McCoy, a cornerback, out of Tennessee. McCoy’s draft rank as a cornerback fell due to concerns about his health, as he was injured for the 2025–26 season. He is a first-round value player, but his injury history is why he fell this far. If he stays healthy, this will be one of the best steals in the draft.
- Dillon Thineman, CHI
With the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Dillon Thineman, a safety, out of Oregon. He is a great player who was projected to go in the mid-first round, but fell to pick 25. The second-best safety in the draft, Thineman will surely be a staple on the Bears’ defense.
- Caleb Downs, DAL
With the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Caleb Downs from Ohio State. He is the best safety in the draft, and the choice for him as a steal is because of his insane value at his position, but also how good he is going to be. Caleb Downs has the highest probability of being a Hall of Famer in this class, and teams will regret letting him fall to pick 11.
- Avieon Terrell, ATL
With the 48th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Avieon Terrell, a cornerback, out of Clemson. This is a great pick both value-wise and popularity-wise. Avieon is the brother of All-Star corner A.J. Terrell, meaning that this duo of brothers will be terrorizing the league for years to come.