257 of college football’s best heard their name called throughout the weekend, and some that didn’t get called surprised us the same. But now, as the NFL teams step into their free agent signing process, we’re about to see (and already are seeing) a flurry of undrafted free agents sign with them. 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 caused 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 by trading up to the No. 11 spot. The best part is that he 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 and is already taking mental notes on the divisional rivals he needs to beat because they moved on from him. In his two seasons at Ohio State, the new Cowboys safety did not allow a touchdown while making four interceptions and nine pass breakups, something much required for a team that surrendered a franchise-record 511 points in 2025 and ranked 30th in yards allowed per game.

Worst: QB Ty Simpson

The Ty Simpson pick was bad for a lot of reasons, but here are my top three: One, I don’t think he’s a very good quarterback. Although he was considered the second-best QB after the first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, Simpson was not even close to where the Indiana alum stood. Two, there were still so many good players on the board. To be honest, his pick would be debated for at least the next few months and maybe over time, depending on what he adds to the Rams’ roster.

Yes, the team eventually needed to address their future QB need after Matthew Stafford. But it is hard to ignore how general manager Les Snead’s connection to the Simpson family played a role in this pick.

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. And that’s understandable why.

He is a terrific run defender, and he put all of his speed and athleticism concerns to rest with the 4.4s run during a private workout earlier this month. He’s not an elite coverage backer, but he is an effective blitzer and an every-down player who can be a leader in the middle of a defense. He will be an immediate starter for the Colts and add much-needed depth to their LB room. 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. But Liam Coen has a plan.

He might be using more three-tight-end sets this season, where Boerkircher could compete. Two upsides this pick has, though, are that he is a good pass-catcher despite relatively few targets over his five college seasons. He will also add some stability to the team as Quintin Morris and Hunter Long are free agents in 2027.

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 will also fill the role Nick Cross left after signing with Washington in free agency. But he will be in the mix for playing time from the get-go, competing with Jonathan Owens, Junayeh Thomas, and Hunter Wohler alongside Cam Bynum.

He’s not the greatest athlete, but he has instincts in the pass game that have 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 who 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.

What influenced this pick was the Cardinals watching Beck play. The more they saw the ball in his hands, the more they liked him. And 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.

He was flagged ahead of the NFL Draft when many teams flagged his knee injury as a degenerative condition, putting their investment in him at risk. But medical opinions can differ. And 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.

Most analysts didn’t project Matthew Hibner to go until the sixth round at the earliest, and now he’s a fourth-rounder. Interestingly, the Ravens traded up, sending a fifth-round pick (No. 154 overall) and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers, to grab Hibner. Baltimore needed help at tight end to fill the voids left by Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, but I feel this was a reach. He’s a pretty good athlete, but he’s really not a great receiver and isn’t an elite blocker.

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, who had been at him for months now, 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. He didn’t allow a single touchdown on 72 targets last season while leading Arizona State in passes defended (9 in 2024, 12 in 2025) and tied for the team lead in interceptions (3 in 2024, 2 in 2025).

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.

But the Patriots did their homework on him, invited him for a top-30 visit while having other points of contact throughout the pre-draft process. Corner was a need for the team, probably why they went with him.

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, probably what the Atlanta Falcons realized, too.

Through four seasons at LSU, Perkins Jr. has totaled 220 tackles, 35.5 tackles-for-loss, 17 sacks, eight forced fumbles, and five interceptions, which saw one of the best freshman seasons in the program’s history. The Falcons lost Kaden Elliss to the New Orleans Saints in free agency and only had Divine Deablo as their reliable starting off-ball linebacker. But Perkins Jr. has enough athleticism to provide an immediate boost to the team.

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.

However, the Falcons saw David Onyemata leave for the New York Jets this offseason, leaving a glaring hole. They have worked in the free agency but haven’t found a reliable solution yet. But with Thompson having started just three games of Power Four football, his abilities are also a question mark that the team will need to sort through the camps.

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 the Jets took in the seventh round.

Worst: OT Jayden Williams

There are a lot of guys taken in the seventh round, most people have never scouted, and Jayden Williams is one of them. ESPN didn’t even rank him on its 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 to the Cardinals, so I went with him.