By Henry Hansen
Disclaimer: I do not know as much as NFL scouts and General Managers. My insight is not as good as theirs; these are just my opinions. I will mainly focus on their most impactful picks in the draft. These grades are how well I think the teams drafted.
The list will start with the alphabetical first team, not their grade or draft order.
The Arizona Cardinals, C+
The Cardinals selected running back Jeremiah Love with the 3rd overall pick in the draft. In the second round, they grabbed Offensive lineman Chase Bisontis. In the third round, they drafted quarterback Carson Beck. In the 4th, they selected Offensive Lineman Kaleb Proctor. I give them a C+ grade because of their use of their draft capital to address their team’s needs.
Atlanta Falcons, B
The Falcons selected cornerback Avieon Terrell and receiver Zachariah Branch. Avieon is the brother of current Falcons corner, AJ Terrell. These picks were good value, and the Falcons did very well in the draft despite their first-round pick belonging to the Rams.
Baltimore Ravens, B+
The Ravens bolstered their offensive line with offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane and picked up outside linebacker Zion Young to help their linebacking core. They also added receiver Ja’Kobi Lane to add another weapon for their superstar quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Buffalo Bills, C
The Bills traded their first-round pick to Chicago in exchange for draft capital. They spent the second-round pick acquired from the Titans on outside linebacker TJ Parker. Their other second-round draft choice was cornerback Davison Igbinosun. I don’t rate their picks as high as other teams, but it was a decent spend of draft capital.
Carolina Panthers, B
The Panthers bolstered their offensive line with offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. They also got Lee Hunter, defensive tackle, in the second round. I give them a B because they did not address their needs at the edge, and preferred to add depth to a position that they already have an all-star in.
Chicago Bears, B+
The Bears selected safety Dillon Thieneman at the 25th overall pick. This was an amazing selection and filled the Bears’ primary need in the draft. They also selected center Logan Jones in the second round. The only knock I have on their draft is that they drafted a tight end with the 5th pick in the 3rd round. This was an irresponsible pick as they already have Coleston Loveland and Cole Kmet for that position.
Cincinnati Bengals, A-
The Bengals traded the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence, a 2-time all pro defensive tackle. Their second-round pick was Cashius Howell, an edge rusher out of Texas A&M. These moves have revolutionized the Bengals’ defense, so I give this draft an A grade.
Cleveland Browns, A-
The Browns traded down to pick 9, and they took Spencer Fano out of Utah University. They also helped out Shaduer Sanders by drafting KC Concepcion, receiver, out of Texas A&M, and Denzel Boston, receiver, out of Washington. These picks are sure to help out with their offensive struggles. Their draft is an A grade due to the addressing of their needs.
Dallas Cowboys, A
The Cowboys traded up to pick 10 and selected Caleb Downs, safety, out of Ohio State. He is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, player in the draft. This was a slam dunk pick at #10—addressing their needs, while also getting great value. They also addressed edge rusher, a need that they have after the Micah Parsons trade.
Denver Broncos, C
The Broncos didn’t have much draft capital this year because they traded their first-round pick for Jaylen Waddle. For the picks that they did have, it was an okay use of capital. Tyler Onyedim, defensive tackle, out of Texas A&M, addresses their need at defensive tackle, and Jonah Coleman, running back, Washington, addresses their need for running back depth.
Detroit Lions, B
The Lions made picks that were very good value, selecting offensive line, edge, and other needs in the first two days. Blake Miller, Tackle, out of Clemson, is a great addition to the star-studded Lions offensive line. Derrick Moore is going to pair well with Aidan Hutchinson at edge-rusher, both out of Michigan, and there will be quick chemistry there.
Green Bay Packers, A-
The Packers traded their first-round pick for Micah Parsons, a superstar edge rusher. This, along with their solid job in addressing their needs, made the Packers have a great draft. Brandon Cisse, cornerback, out of South Carolina, was their first pick in the draft, and he will surely help shore up their secondary unit.
Houston Texans, B
The Texans bolstered their offensive line with guard Keylan Rutledge, out of Georgia Tech. With their second pick, they traded up and selected Kaden McDonald, a defensive tackle, out of Ohio State. These picks address their needs very well, which is a theme of good grades in this draft. It is a B because of their neglect of center and corner.
Indianapolis Colts, C
The Colts traded their first-round pick for Sauce Gardner, which at the time was a great trade for the Colts, as they were contenders. Now, in hindsight, it isn’t as much of a slam-dunk trade as before. Their selection of C.J. Allen is good, but it didn’t address any of their main needs. Their needs were addressed in later rounds, but their top picks weren’t spent on their needs.
Jacksonville Jaguars, D+
The Jaguars did not have any first-round picks this year, having traded for Travis Hunter in the previous draft. Their capital was spent on positions they did not need, like tight end Nate Boerkircher out of Texas A&M. While they did address their needs in later rounds, their second-round pick should have been spent more wisely.
Kansas City Chiefs, A+
A masterclass in drafting, the Chiefs traded up to pick 6 to address their biggest need in the draft with cornerback, Mansoor Delane, out of LSU. They also traded up to select Peter Woods, defensive tackle, out of Clemson. This was the best team draft class in the entire league, and the Chiefs did masterfully.
Los Angeles Chargers, B
They addressed some of their needs in the first two days, but left their biggest need, offensive guard, until day three of the draft. Akheem Mesidor was their first-round draft choice, and he addressed their need at edge. At Miami, Mesidor was paired with Rueben Bain, so he is used to working with another star edge rusher. He and Khalil Mack will pair nicely together.
Los Angeles Rams, F
The Los Angeles Rams selected Ty Simpson, QB, out of Alabama with the thirteenth overall pick in the draft. This is the worst value pick in the entire NFL Draft. The Rams have an aging MVP quarterback in Matthew Stafford, and they are in a prime winning situation. Ty Simpson does nothing for their franchise’s plans.
Las Vegas Raiders, A
They got their guy. They got Fernando Mendoza, their quarterback of the future. Mendoza is a player that you build your franchise around, a true franchise quarterback. They also built around him in the draft, selecting Treydan Stukes, safety, out of Arizona.
Miami Dolphins, D
The Dolphins had a chance to select Caleb Downs to help their defensive back core, but they chose to trade down with the Cowboys and let him fall away. Downs would have been the perfect player for this Dolphins team, but they traded down. Other than this, they had an okay draft, taking Kadyn Proctor, tackle, out of Alabama. Proctor is a good player, but not as much of a need as a defensive back is for the Dolphins.
Minnesota Vikings, D-
The Vikings have a dire need at the safety position, and yet they chose to select an injury-prone defensive tackle, who was ranked 34th overall. This is one of the most shambolic picks in the draft. Dillon Thineman, who was perfect for the Vikings, was sitting on the board, and they took Caleb Banks. Caleb is a quality player, but he cannot stay healthy. This was a reach in every regard.
New England Patriots, B+
The Patriots chose to select Caleb Lomu, tackle, out of Utah with their first-round pick. This is a very good pick because of their struggles on the offensive line during the Super Bowl last year. They also used their second-round pick on Gabe Jucas, edge, out of Illinois, a good value edge rusher who will bolster their defensive unit.
New Orleans Saints, A-
The Saints selected Jordyn Tyson, receiver, out of ASU with the eighth overall pick. The pair of Tyson with the veteran Chris Olave will be an amazing duo for second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. This, along with the rest of their draft, was an amazing job at drafting. The only knock on their draft is that they did not fill their large need at edge.
New York Giants, A
The New York Giants were able to make a ton of steals in this draft. Arvell Reese at pick 5, Francis Mauigoa at pick 10, and Colton Hood at 37. These picks will define the new era of this Giants team and will be the pillars of their future. The only reservation I have with this draft is that they did not select Caleb Downs with the 10th pick, letting him fall to the Cowboys, a division rival.
New York Jets, B
For the draft capital that the Jets had, they did okay with their picks. The selection of David Bailey was solid, but questionable; their selection of Kenyon Sadiq was confusing, seeing as they had larger needs at pick 16, and their pick of Omar Cooper Jr. was amazing. They are taking chances on prospects who aren’t the most hyped but are very solid. This grade could very well be trumped if these players can produce at the top level.
Philadelphia Eagles, A
Howie Roseman did what he always does, gets a really good prospect to fall to their late pick in the first round and then trades up two spots to select them. This happened again this year with Makai Lemon. With the Eagles needing a receiver, seeing as A.J. Brown has no future in Philly, the Eagles select the third-best prospect in the entire class. This, along with the other good picks in the draft, makes this grade an A.
Pittsburgh Steelers, C+
This draft was a decent one, with the Steelers selecting Max Iheanachor, tackle, out of ASU, but it wasn’t headlined by any blockbuster picks. Instead, the headlines were on their third round selections of Drew Allar and Gennings Dunker. Allar, an Ohio native, grew up a fan of the division rival Browns, for whom his parents have season tickets. Needless to say, this pairing is hilarious. Their next headliner, Dunker, is the most stereotypical offensive lineman ever seen. Dunker is a two-time Iowa hay-bale tossing champion with a stache and ginger mullet, is exactly what is envisioned when talking about an offensive lineman.
Seattle Seahawks, C
Nothing much to say, the defending Super Bowl Champions had an average draft. Nothing flashy, nothing terrible. The Seahawks drafted an average class for their draft position. Their first round selection of Jadarian Price, running back, Notre Dame, was a good selection in the wave of the Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker, leaving the franchise. Nothing much to say about the draft; they traded well and got capital for the following seasons. All in all, a decent draft.
San Francisco 49ers, B-
The 49ers had a decent draft, no flashy picks, but solid selections. The pick of De’Zhuan Stribling is very good because of the failings of Brandon Aiyuk. The selection of Romello height is good because it bolsters the defense and provides a partner to Nick Bosa on the edge. The rest of their draft picks were spent on depth players, which the 49ers desperately need due to their injury curse. All in all, an above-average draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, A
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got Rueben Bain with the 15th overall pick. This pick could not have been better. Bain is a player with below-average arm size but was the best edge rusher in college football during the 2025-26 season. This pick was phenomenal, and it has only been helped by the rest of the Buccaneers draft class. Linebacker Josiah Trotter is a good attempt at replacing the irreplaceable Lavonte David, and Ted Hurst is a good pick for wide receiver depth. They were also able to address all of their needs in this draft, giving it the high grade that it deserves.
Tennessee Titans, A
The Titans had a good draft class, selecting Carnell Tate, receiver, Ohio State, with pick #4. They also selected Keldric Faulk, edge, out of Auburn with the 30th overall pick. This Titans draft class was focused on putting a good team around sophomore quarterback Cameron Ward. This draft does a spectacular job of building a team around him. This is why they earn an A grade.
Washington Commanders, C+
A solid draft from Washington, highlighted by a superstar prospect in Sonny Styles. Styles, a freak athlete, is an amazing prospect at the middle linebacker position. This was their highlight, but they did not really have an amazing day two and three. This resulted in the Commanders’ draft being very top-heavy. All in all, an above-average draft.