The 2026 NFL Draft is, sadly, over. We’re about to enter a dead spot in the NFL calendar, but it will be needed after a hectic pre-draft process to give us some time to marinate on the picks and hit the reset button.

One thing we’ll do throughout the offseason is compare picks. Fans and NFL front offices don’t often agree, so we’ll be debating whether said team should’ve taken this player over that player, but that’s a part of the draft. We don’t all have to agree, but it makes for good debates.

Today, I’m going to do some comparing of my own. I took 2-3 players at the same positions that were drafted in the same range and gave my reasoning for who I would’ve picked first. I agreed with some team’s decisions, but there were certainly a few that I disagreed with.

Arvell Reese vs Sonny Styles

The first comparison we’re going to do is Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Did the New York Giants make the right pick by selecting Reese? Or should they have gone with the more prototypical linebacker in Styles?

I love Arvell Reese. I thought he should’ve been the pick at No. 2, because he has a ton of upside as a pass rusher, but even if he doesn’t become Micah Parsons, he can still be a really good off-ball linebacker. But what is New York’s plan for him? Do they try and use him off the edge, even though they have Abdul Carter and Brian Burns? Do they make him a full-time off-ball linebacker, and if so, do they think his ceiling there is higher than Styles?

I feel like Styles would’ve been a better fit in that defense. Reese’s ceiling is higher than Styles because of his pass rush abilities, but if you told me they would both be playing off-ball full time, I would absolutely go with Styles. He could be the next Fred Warner.

Verdict: Sonny Styles

Spencer Fano vs Francis Mauigoa vs Kadyn Proctor

We expected to see an offensive tackle run pretty early in this draft, and we got one. Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa and Kadyn Proctor all came off the board between the No. 9 and No. 12 pick, but which one should the Cleveland Browns have picked?

Spencer Fanowas the No. 1 tackle in this class for a while before the NFL Combine, where his arms measured in well below the 33-inch mark. But at his pro day, he came in just a couple eights of an inch below that mark, and all of a sudden, his stock started rising again. One thing that made him an attractive option for Cleveland was his ability, and willingness, to play guard or even center if needed. So if he doesn’t work out at tackle, he can kick inside easily.

So that means the Browns passed on Mauigoa and Proctor for Fano. Many had Mauigoa as the top tackle in this draft class, and he could easily move inside as well, but Fano is the more athletic prospect. As for Proctor, he was definitely the biggest project of the two, but he also has the highest upside.

Ultimately, Fano was the right pick for Cleveland. His ability to play every position on the offensive line is very attractive for a team that needs help everywhere.

Verdict: Spencer Fano

Akheem Mesidor vs Malachi Lawrence

After the Dallas Cowboys traded back to No. 23, it was clear their selection was going be an edge rusher, but they risked the fact that the Los Angeles Chargers could take their guy from them at No. 22. The Chargers selected Akheem Mesidor and the Cowboys still got their guy in Malachi Lawrence, but did the Chargers make the right decision?

This pick comes down to production vs potential. Mesidor is 25 years old, but he was super productive in college and was one of the best players on the national championship runner ups. On the other hand, Malachi Lawrence never had more than seven sacks in a single season, but he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump.

It all comes down to preference. Do you go with the 25-year-old who can produce immediately? Or do you take the 22-year-old that is a freak athlete, but struggled to produce more than seven sacks at UCF? I think I would be on the upside here.

Verdict: Malachi Lawrence

Blake Miller vs Monroe Freeling vs Max Iheanachor

After the first mini-tackle run, we saw another one with three of them coming off the board between picks No. 17 and No. 21. Blake Miller went to Detorit, Monroe Freeling went to Carolina and Max Iheanachor went to Pittsburgh. But who should the Detroit Lions have taken?

Blake Miller and Monroe Freeling are very similar outside of the fact that Freeling is a left tackle and Miller is a right tackle. They’re both athletic guys that I would like to see sit for a year, and if it came down to those two, I would probably have taken Freeling. His ceiling is higher, and it would allow Penei Sewell to stay at right tackle, where he’s an All-Pro.

But if I had my choice, it would’ve been Max Iheanachor. The Arizona State product has only played football for a few years, but he’s ready to start right now and is one of the best pass blockers in this draft class. I had him ranked higher than both Miller and Freeling, so he would’ve been the easy choice for me if I were the Lions.

Verdict: Max Iheanachor

Caleb Banks vs Peter Woods

Let’s talk about two picks that were considered reaches. The Minnesota Vikings took Caleb Banks at No. 18, and the Kansas City Chiefs took Peter Woods at No. 29. Neither of them were my top defensive tackle in this class, but they were the first two off the board, so the question is, who should the Vikings have taken?

Both of these were upside picks in different ways. Woods didn’t really produce in college, but the Chiefs are betting on his athletic upside. Banks did produce in college, but he was always hurt, and is coming off another foot injury. At 327 pounds, that is far from ideal.

I wouldn’t have taken either of these guys at No. 18, but if I had a gun to my head and were forced to choose between the two, I would pick Banks. I just don’t see it with Woods, and we at least know that when Banks is healthy, he can be an absolute animal.

Verdict: Caleb Banks

R Mason Thomas vs Cashius Howell

This one was incredibly tough. The Chiefs selected R Mason Thomas just one pick before the Bengals selected Cashius Howell, and both of them are fascinating prospects.

R Mason Thomas is a small, explosive pass rusher. He’s only 6-foot-2, but he’s incredibly quick off the line of scrimmage. Howell is much more powerful, but he measured in with the second-shortest arms of any edge rusher at the NFL Combine since at least 1999. They both have their defects, but also have incredibly high upside.

I’ve gone back and forth on this one, but I think the Chiefs made the right pick with R Mason Thomas. Howell is a great prospect, don’t get me wrong, but I just love Thomas’ ability to get off the line quick and beat bigger, slower offensive tackles. You couldn’t go wrong with either guy, but Thomas would’ve been my pick.

Verdict: R Mason Thomas

Avieon Terrell vs D’Angelo Ponds

There were a lot of good cornerbacks available on day two of the NFL Draft, and two of them were Avieon Terrell and D’Angelo Ponds, who came off the board to the Falcons at No. 48 and the Jets at No. 50, respectively.

I like Avieon Terrell. I know he didn’t play as well in 2025 as he did in 2024, but he’s still very young and has a lot of room for improvement. The big knock on him is his athleticism. He earned a sub-5 Relative Athletic Score out of 10, and not many guys go in the first two rounds without a 5+ RAS.

I really love D’Angelo Ponds. If he was three inches taller, he would’ve been a top-15 pick in this draft. He’s one of the best coverage cornerbacks in this draft, and even though he’s only 5-foot-9, he makes up for it with his athleticism, running in the 4.3s with a 43.5-inch vertical.

If you couldn’t tell, I would’ve taken Ponds. I don’t think Terrell was a bad pick at No. 48 at all, because I thought he’d go higher than that, but with Ponds on the board, I would’ve taken the national champion.

Verdict: D’Angelo Ponds

Carson Beck vs Drew Allar

Our final comparison is going to be between the round three quarterbacks: Carson Beck and Drew Allar. Both of these guys have their flaws, but they also have some upside, so did the Cardinals make the right pick taking Beck over Allar?

Carson Beck has the ideal size for an NFL quarterback at nearly 6-foot-5, 233 pounds, and he’s extremely experienced, but there’s a reason Miami took the football out of his hands in a lot of key moments. His arm also isn’t as good as most quarterbacks in the NFL, which really limits what you can do with him.

Allar is kind of similar. He also has ideal size for a quarterback at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, and he’s also very experienced as a three-year starter. The difference is his arm. Allar has a cannon, and although he hasn’t quite learned how to harness all that arm talent, at least there’s something to build on there.

If we’re going based on upside, Allar’s is definitely higher than Beck’s. For that reason, I would’ve taken Allar over Beck.

Verdict: Drew Allar