We waited so long for the NFL Draft to finally get here, and now it’s already over. 257 of college football’s best heard their name called throughout the weekend, and we’re about to see (and already are seeing) a flurry of undrafted free agents start signing with teams.

But before we get into the UDFA news, we need to recap this draft. It was certainly as unpredictable as many people said it would be, which cause some top talent to slip, while others reached on some guys who were lower on the consensus board. This means there were some absolute gems found, but it also means some teams got fleeced.

Today, I’ll be highlighting what I believe are the best and worst picks from each round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Round 1

Best: SAF Caleb Downs

I’ve talked about this pick a lot, but when the best player in the draft class (in my opinion) falls to No. 11, he has to be the best pick of the round. The Dallas Cowboys needed to find at least one difference maker on defense in this draft, and they absolutely got one with Caleb Downs, who can do literally anything you could want a safety to do. He can play deep, he can come down and play the run, and he can also hold his own in the slot. He’s going to instantly improve this defense.

Worst: QB Ty Simpson

The Ty Simpson pick was bad for a lot of reasons. One, I don’t think he’s a very good quarterback. Two, there were still so many good players on the board. Three, the Los Angeles Rams were one game away from the Super Bowl last year, and instead of getting a guy who could help them get over the hump, they used a top-15 pick on someone who is going to be a backup for at least two seasons. This pick made absolutely no sense.

Round 2

Best: LB CJ Allen

CJ Allen was my No. 3 linebacker in this draft class, behind only Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese. He is a terrific run defender, and he put all of his speed and athleticism concerns to rest when he ran in the 4.4s during a private workout earlier this month. He’s not an elite coverage backer, but he is an every down player that can be a leader in the middle of a defense, so to get him at No. 53 was a huge steal for the Indianapolis Colts.

Worst: TE Nate Boerkircher

There was no contest for this pick. This might be the worst pick in the entire draft. I don’t mean to diss Nate Boerkircher, but the Jacksonville Jaguars, who made the playoffs last year and lost some key players this offseason, spent their first pick of the draft on a blocking tight end that didn’t even have 200 yards last year? Look, in round five or six, this could make sense, but in round two? I just can’t make sense of it, especially when guys like Max Klare and Oscar Delp were still available.

Round 3

Best: SAF A.J. Haulcy

Another Colts pick makes this list. A.J. Haulcy was my No. 3 safety in this class above Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and it’s because he’s so versatile. He’s not the greatest athlete, but he has natural instincts in the pass game that helped him pick off eight passes in the last two seasons. On top of that, he’s an elite run defender from the safety position. The Colts didn’t have a first round pick, but they still got two defenders that will instantly impact their defense.

Worst: QB Carson Beck

I love Jeremiyah Love, but I thought it was an awful pick for the Arizona Cardinals, who still have a ton of needs on their roster. But they might’ve topped it by using the first pick in the third round on Carson Beck. I know he has the size you want in a quarterback, but there’s a reason Miami took the ball out of his hands in many key moments. I think he’ll be a solid backup one day, but he won’t be a long-term starter, and there were plenty of players on the board that could’ve helped them out a lot more than Beck. Just a bad first two days for Arizona (outside of Chase Bisontis).

Round 4

Best: CB Jermod McCoy

There were a lot of fourth round picks I really liked, such as Keionte Scott, Skyler Bell, Bryce Lance and Devin Moore, but the pick has to be Jermod McCoy. I know the medicals are terrifying, but how often do you get a top-15 talent in round four? Never. If he gets this second surgery done, and it works, he’s a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL for as long as he plays. He could be a game changer at corner for the Raiders, if he stays healthy.

Worst: TE Matthew Hibner

I don’t know what’s going on with the tight ends this year, but I guess the league is much higher on this class than everyone else was. Matthew Hibner wasn’t projected to go until the sixth round at the earliest, and now he’s a fourth rounder. He’s a pretty good athlete, but he’s really not a great receiver and isn’t an elite blocker. I know Baltimore had a big need at tight end, but this was a reach.

Round 5

Best: CB Keith Abney II

I can’t believe Keith Abney II fell to round five. I would’ve been thrilled if my Saints grabbed him in round three, so for the Detroit Lions to get him at No. 157 is an absolute steal. He’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-10, but he plays much bigger than that and is very quick and has great ball skills. The Lions got a steal.

Worst: CB Karon Prunty

Karon Prunty wasn’t even on my radar in this draft. I ran multiple 7-round mock drafts for our one mock draft for every team series, and I never once saw his name on any big board. He didn’t have a bad year at Wake Forest last year, but I don’t think many teams were leaping out of their chairs to draft him in round seven, much less round five.

Round 6

Best: LB Harold Perkins Jr.

I know a lot of people are low on Harold Perkins Jr., but in this draft, there aren’t many players in the sixth round with higher upside than the LSU product. The Tigers never learned how to properly utilize him, but if someone in the league does, they could have a weapon on their hands.

Worst: DT Anterio Thompson

Anterio Thompson isn’t super athletic, didn’t produce a whole lot in college and is 6-foot-1. I won’t pretend like I did any scouting into him, because quite frankly, I didn’t even know he was on draft boards. I did plenty of seven-round mock drafts this offseason and never saw his name come up even once, so, yeah.

Round 7

Best: SAF VJ Payne

There is no world where VJ Payne should’ve been available in the seventh round. He’s 6-foot-3 and is a great athlete, running a 4.4-second 40-yard dash with a 35-inch vertical. He also played a lot of football in college, so he has the experience you want in a late round pick. He was easily the best player taken in the seventh round.

Worst: OT Jayden Williams

There’s a lot of guys taken in the seventh round most people have never scouted, and Jayden Williams is one of them. He wasn’t even ranked on ESPN’s big board. He was a solid pass blocker at Ole Miss, but nothing special. There were a lot of guys who could’ve occupied this spot, but Williams was the first pick of the seventh round, so I went with him.