What I love about the NFL draft is that it's an eternal well of hope, one that naturally replenishes itself every year like clockwork.
The Seahawks, Patriots and Bears all killed the draft last year, and it led to transcendent seasons for those franchises. Of course, the Browns had a great 2025 draft, too, and ... well ... not everyone can enjoy the spoils of success. But Cleveland also appeared to do very well this year -- once again putting together one of my favorite draft hauls -- as did a few teams I was not necessarily prepared to praise. That's another beauty of the draft: There are dozens of surprises every year, and you never truly know what to expect.
The reality, though, is that most of the strong teams entering the draft remained strong. Most of the lesser teams still have work to do. Your team's class might look decent now, but give it a few years and see how how you feel then.
With that in mind, there were changes to the rankings, but likely not the seismic ones many are hoping for. Several of the moves involved teams coming off poor seasons that were hit hard by injury. They're going to jump up eventually, so why not now?
NOTE: Up/down arrows below reflect team movement from March's Power Rankings, which were published after the free agency frenzy.
The Seahawks went into draft weekend not needing to do anything crazy, and they left it with a running back who figures to enter the rotation immediately, plus help for a secondary that experienced attrition in free agency. Jadarian Price wasn't my 32nd-best available player, and he never touched the ball more than 15 times in a single game at Notre Dame, but he's a quality replacement for Kenneth Walker III. This team won't start next season as an overwhelming favorite, but it's hard to deny Seattle's worthiness to top the rankings right now. The 2025 Seahawks ran through a challenging schedule and took one of the league's best divisions by multiple games, then prevailed in two of their three playoff contests by more than two touchdowns. Now, the 'Hawks have the bulk of their forces returning for 2026. The 12s remain at No. 1.
With its first two picks of the draft, Los Angeles selected a quarterback who might not take a snap in 2026 and a sixth tight end for the roster. I can understand Rams fans' frustrations, but that approach tells me that the team believes it has a Super Bowl-caliber roster right now and can afford to make such moves. Sure, there could be another Puka Nacua in the Rams' draft mix, but they certainly won't go into next season counting on much in the way of rookie help to win it all. Speaking of Nacua, I assumed L.A,. would take a receiver in this draft, perhaps at No. 13, but Les Snead and Co. waited until the 197th pick, ultimately selecting CJ Daniels. I'll be curious to see if the Rams feel they still need to add a piece or two, but their long-term health appears good, assuming Sean McVay is on board with making Ty Simpson the Matthew Stafford succession plan.
Since we last met in these here rankings, the Broncos flipped multiple picks for Jaylen Waddle, limiting their 2026 draft impact but adding a more proven weapon. What was their most interesting addition over draft weekend? Fourth-round RB Jonah Coleman, who joins RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins in the backfield mix. Coleman is an adept short-yardage runner and can give Denver more of what it missed with Javonte Williams gone last year. If the offense has made incremental improvements, it will take some of the pressure off the defense to play near-perfect ball every time out. There were a few instances last season that this strong D was not up for the heavy lifting. Improvement from Bo Nix and Co. would make this team a Super Bowl contender again.
The flurry of trades down might have irritated Bills fans, but Brandon Beane added someone (or multiple players) at several positions of need and appeared to check some boxes. I might have liked to see Beane take a linebacker a bit earlier, but this draft haul should help fill out the roster after depth was something of an issue for Buffalo last year. WR Skyler Bell felt like a steal in Round 4. I had him in the back end of my top 100 prospects and think he'll be a solid option for Josh Allen in time. How quickly can this defense come together under new coordinator Jim Leonhard? That will be one of the big storylines of the offseason. First-year head coach Joe Brady has a lot of pressure here, but also a potential Super Bowl-caliber team.
The Ravens keep climbing their way back to respectability, and draft time is often a good time for them. OG Vega Ioane and edge rusher Zion Young feel like Ravens from birth. Both should vie for major roles early. Drafting two receivers -- two different receivers, yet two Ravens-y ones -- also should help diversify the passing game a bit more. Ditto the two tight ends. And if punter Ryan Eckley is as good at his job as Tyler Loop was at his as a rookie, Baltimore once again upgraded on special teams. Few teams take advantage of the talent grab that is the draft quite like the Ravens. They don't hit on every pick, but they rarely fail to upgrade in some form.
I felt like their first three picks were reaches of varying degrees, although I often feel that way with the 49ers. That's not a criticism; it's just the way it has been under John Lynch more often than not, and the Niners obviously have found ways to mostly remain successful. What I liked best was that they addressed areas of need, but my only question is whether they did so with the best options available. Kyle Shanahan admitted it would be tough for all eight picks to make the roster but said that a few could start. I find that latter part a little hard to believe, assuming the 49ers are fully healthy coming into the season. I could see their top four picks -- WR De'Zhaun Stribling, edge Romello Height, RB Kaelon Black and DT Gracen Halton -- all contributing in some form in 2026, but how much?
Frankly, I didn't love the Texans' haul on the whole. But I think there's a very good chance their top two picks, OG Keylan Rutledge and DT Kayden McDonald, will be significant contributors. The Texans are hell-bent on getting their offensive line right, and I'll never stand in the way of such a noble pursuit. If they're not better at guard, at the very least, I'll walk naked through the Discovery Green next summer. The Texans can use the Seahawks' blueprint for a path to the Super Bowl: excellent defense, timely special teams and an explosive passing game paired with a hard-nosed ground attack. Has Houston done enough to craft that? So much depends on C.J. Stroud getting right again.
Look, people will question this major jump, just like folks did when I preemptively boosted the Ravens in the last edition of the Power Rankings. Some of this is the value of Patrick Mahomes' return being factored in, and the sooner we get to him retaking the field, the better the Chiefs are. It's just that simple. I can probably nitpick some of what Kansas City did in the draft, but I feel pretty good about its first three picks contributing early. CB Mansoor Delane made sense and probably will start. DT Peter Woods and edge R Mason Thomas will be in the pass-rush rotation soon, too. The Chiefs didn't draft an offensive tackle, and they waited until late to take a receiver. This was all about the defense getting better, and I'm OK with the approach.
It hasn't been the easiest post-Super Bowl experience for the Patriots, whose head coach missed Day 3 of the draft. I liked New England's first three picks, plus a couple others along the way -- this is a mostly solid class. The A.J. Brown trade is indeed getting baked into this ranking, even though it hasn't yet happened. (I can adjust later if that falls through somehow.) The Pats are stronger on the lines of scrimmage, which is important, and they still have some firepower on offense, although I think more is needed. I don't view them as prime Super Bowl contenders again, but they're not far off of that, either.
In moving up for receiver Makai Lemon and trading for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard -- along with WR Dontayvion Wicks earlier in the month -- the Eagles definitely improved the roster. Throw in TE Eli Stowers and OT Markel Bell, and it was a productive weekend. Even if Bell is more of a down-the-road pick -- along with QB Cole Payton, S Cole Wisniewski and DT Uar Bernard -- the heft up top should be enough to put Philly in a good spot. It was an uneven draft class, with a 110-pick gap between picks in the middle rounds, but the approach appeared worthy. Even with the impending A.J. Brown trade, the Eagles have done enough to put them back in contention if Jalen Hurts can rebound.
The Bears' draft class is a mostly-respectable crop on the whole, with some smart targeted additions at need spots. I do question the lack of impact D-line pickups and still wonder about that position group, but overall, Chicago did fairly well. If there's a mid-round pick to watch, it might be Texas CB Malik Muhammad, who could crack the early rotation. I questioned how the Bears handled the retirement of center Drew Dalman, but Logan Jones was a nice insurance pick to back up the Garrett Bradbury trade. My least-favorite pick? Third-rounder Zavion Thomas, but even he could be a special teams threat and occasional deep-ball artist for Ben Johnson. We'll see if the Bears can become more of a complete team this season, but they appear headed in the right direction.
The Chargers are determined not to allow the offensive line to sink them again. Sound thinking. Half their picks were OL prospects, with three of the four pegged for the interior. They started the weekend with five picks but ended up making eight, thanks to a series of trades down. We'll see if this was the right approach, but they really only need two of those blockers to hit to make that unit better. Edge Akheem Mesidor can boost the pass rush, and WR Brenen Thompson and S Genesis Smith could carve out roles next season. Overall, it feels like a competent class that will address some thinner spots on the roster.
It has been a bit quiet lately with the Lions, and their draft class wasn't a fireworks affair, instead addressing some key needs and adding culture fits. I wasn't the biggest fan of trading up for edge rusher Derrick Moore, especially with Zion Young and Gabe Jacas on the board, but I did think offensive tackle Blake Miller was a smart selection in the first. Throw in a great value pick with DB Keith Abney II in the fifth round, and it was a respectable haul. The Lions can return to the upper reaches of the league if the offense remains dangerous and the defense makes improvements in a few areas. This is not your typical last-place team, which is reflected in the rankings.
I'll be honest: I didn't love the Jaguars' haul. I don't know too many folks who did. It felt like a team that didn't care for the draft class as a whole, felt pretty good about the roster in general and decided to take players it liked, with little regard to value. That's fine and good, as long as the approach works. We'll see. The Jaguars were a good team last season, and they have the goods to be competitive again, but at no point this offseason -- even with the Jags lacking a first-round pick -- did I think they could skate through three days of the draft without getting more immediate help. I liked a few of their picks, such as third-round OG Emmanuel Pregnon and sixth-round WR Josh Cameron, but I don't know how they get much in the way of immediate returns from their rookies.
On the whole, I liked the Steelers' draft work. I can make a case for nearly every pick they made, plus a few they didn't. The two biggest question marks for me were with first-rounder Max Iheanachor and third-rounder Drew Allar. Iheanachor was a fun study, and I had him in my top 32, but I felt like the Steelers could have maneuvered up better, either for another tackle or a receiver. They had the picks to do so. Allar could be a terrific QB project, but this just muddies the waters even more at that position. WR Germie Bernard and OG Gennings Dunker could end up as early contributors, though, and there were some fun Day 3 selections. Now we wait for Aaron Rodgers' decision. Again. I was told it was not going to be this way this time around.
It's strange. While the draft was happening, nothing Green Bay did thrilled me that much. But now that it's in the can, I look back and kind of like what the Packers generally did. It was mostly a blue-collar haul for the Pack -- and any class lacking a first-rounder is naturally going to look a little lean -- but it addressed some sore spots on the roster and built out some decent reinforcements. The Packers believe internally they can compete for a Super Bowl, and that isn't some wild statement. The healthy returns of Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons can help get them there, along with a resurgent Jordan Love. This class was never going to be the difference between a ring or not in the 2026 season.
I like the upward trajectory of this franchise, and it seemed to carry through with a draft class that has a chance to be pretty good. I don't think you can call any of the Panthers' picks real reaches, other than perhaps DT Lee Hunter at No. 49, although I bet there were a handful of teams ready to take him shortly thereafter. Bryce Young is the point guard, and he has some real basketball-like weapons, adding to that with WR Chris Brazzell II, who carries some risk but could pay off in a big way. The NFC South has been something of a morass for the past few years, but Carolina is a team to watch.
One pick after another, I kept nodding along with what Jason Licht and the Buccaneers were doing in the draft. Edge menace Rueben Bain Jr. felt like a home run in an underpowered draft. Linebacker Josiah Trotter gives Tampa Bay a hammer in the run game. Ted Hurst was my favorite Day 2 receiver, and the Bucs got him midway through Round 3. Keionte Scott is another tone setter and versatile secondary piece. Those four have a chance to dent the lineup next year, adding to a solid veteran corps. Baker Mayfield has ridden the roller coaster a bit in the last year-plus, but he still has a chance to write a Sam Darnold-like capstone to his story. Can the Bucs stay healthy enough next season to see it through?
For not having a first-round pick, the Colts did a darned-good job identifying value selections at positions of greater need, coming out of the weekend with a really nice crop. Edge project George Gumbs was the only "we'll see" pick for me, and yet I admit he has a pretty intriguing template of skills. From LB CJ Allen through WR Deion Burks, there was thought and purpose to pretty much every pick. Some teams that entered Thursday with more draft capital than the Colts left with worse talent hauls. Indy might have landed two rookie starters in Allen and S A.J. Haulcy, plus two or three more early contributors. Everything rides on Daniel Jones' recovery, but I am willing to see where he's at come training camp. Can't give up on Indiana Jones or the Colts yet.
The Cowboys' assignment was clear -- FIX THE DEFENSE -- and I think they made several important steps toward achieving that. Caleb Downs is a Day 1 starter who significantly raises the floor of a bad secondary right away. Malachi Lawrence adds what they were lacking: more pass-rush juice. Edge Jaishawn Barham was one of my favorite studies in this class, a true agent of chaos who could use just a little more polish. Even CB Devin Moore and DT LT Overton were nice pickups, I thought. Throw in Rashan Gary and Dee Winters and the rest of the offseason additions, and a lack of talent is no longer Dallas' big problem on D. Christian Parker now just needs to round this group into form, figure out how to best weaponize everyone, and we're probably talking about a middle-of-the-pack defense to pair with an explosive offense. Could that work?
The Dexter Lawrence trade was a shock from a value perspective, but I completely understand why the Bengals did it. He was probably the most impactful defender added to a roster in the past few weeks, draft included. It's a little wild to think that only three of Cincinnati's seven picks were spent on defense, but they were some of the more important slots, with the Bengals landing edge rusher Cashius Howell in the second and cornerback Tacario Davis in the third. Howell especially got me jacked up. Cincy's front is better, having weathered the Trey Hendrickson storm, and the Bengals even managed to make some solid additions inside on the offensive line (C Connor Lew was my favorite). Is this class in and of itself a game changer? If you count the Lawrence addition, it's a fair question.
All things considered, I thought it was a decent weekend for Atlanta, despite lacking a first-round pick. I loved the feel-good story with Avieon Terrell, who joined his brother on the Falcons, but I also think he can play a little and upgrade that secondary. The Zachariah Branch selection comes with risk, but the playmaker can carve out an early role on offense. Keep an eye on sixth-rounders Anterio Thompson and Harold Perkins Jr., too, as subpackage weapons for the D. The focus now shifts back to the new coaching staff and the fascinating QB situation with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, and whether either can prevent another late-season meltdown. This team has some talent.
New Orleans rolled the dice on some injury-risk prospects with each of its first three picks. WR Jordyn Tyson carries the most risk, but neither DT Christen Miller nor TE Oscar Delp have pristine medical backgrounds, either. That said, these are the risks the Saints tend to take in the draft, and I mostly like what they did. They buttressed those picks with some athletically gifted players late, and I bet one or two of them work out. New Orleans certainly doesn't have a perfect roster, but Kellen Moore's group played pretty well late last season and might surprise some teams early on in 2026. All of that is contingent on Tyler Shough continuing to progress, but there's some real optimism surrounding him now.
The Commanders entered the draft with just six picks (two in the top 100) to try to check a lot of boxes. They were looking to butter both sides of the bread -- getting more help for Jayden Daniels while attempting to add more firepower on defense -- and they did fairly well with what they had, I suppose. Hyper-athletic LB Sonny Styles felt like a strong pick and should start immediately. I am not anti-Antonio Williams, but I do wonder whether he's the type of receiver Washington needed most. On the positive side, I felt like both edge Joshua Josephs and RB Kaytron Allen were strong picks where the Commanders got them. On the whole, this class only moved the needle so much, and Daniels' re-emergence holds the key to a bounce-back season.
Time will tell whether WR Carnell Tate was the right call at No. 4, but I was pretty happy with the work the Titans did in the draft. Edge Keldric Faulk and LB Anthony Hill Jr. are two pieces Robert Saleh really can use right away, especially on a defense that seemed like it could have added a bit more in free agency. There's still time, of course, even if things tend to slow down at this time of year. There was a big focus on surrounding Cam Ward with an improved cast this offseason, and I think the Titans have done that, even if they've been forced to spend significant resources on the likes of Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson. The AFC South is up for grabs, but it remains to be seen if Tennessee has done enough to enter the mix in contention.
The first thing you notice when you step back and look at the Giants' draft class is that there was a big emphasis on getting bigger. Yes, the Arvell Reese pick was the showstopper, and the Colton Hood selection earned some worthy buzz in Round 2. But the remainder of the picks were focused on size and physicality -- and that's not to suggest Reese and Hood don't play with an edge, because they do. It felt like a promising start to the John Harbaugh era, piggybacking off a relatively strong rest of the offseason. I still think the Giants have a big need in the defensive interior after trading Dexter Lawrence, but there might be some workable (cheaper) veteran options to consider. All in all, the arrow is pointing up for the G-Men, but can they translate that into wins?
I think it's time we acknowledge that Andrew Berry has a great feel for the draft. After last year's banner class, the bar was set pretty darned high, but none of Cleveland's 10 picks drew side-eye from me. Not a single one. The Browns needed to bolster the offensive line, and they did exactly that. They added two receivers who should very much be in the top-four mix in Year 1, perhaps even starting. Trading up for safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was savvy. And if there's ever a team to gamble on Taylen Green, it's the Browns -- why not? Green likely won't be the QB answer this year, and that conundrum remains the biggest reason to be bearish on the Browns' chances to improve in the standings. But boy, it's been fun watching them draft over the past couple years.
After the surprise of the Caleb Banks pick wore off, the Vikings settled into a little groove with a few of their selections. Among the value picks I liked: LB Jake Golday, OT Caleb Tiernan, S Jakobe Thomas and CB Charles Demmings. Even a fullback in Round 5 didn't offend me; if anything, it made me nostalgic. I certainly understand Vikings fans could feel differently about it, given their personal investment in the team, but if Max Bredeson becomes the next C.J. Ham, it's a good pick. This was not a year where fifth-round picks needed to be treated like military codes. Most of the same questions about Minnesota that existed last week still remain, although trading Jonathan Greenard both adds a worry and clears up cap space. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Vikes make a veteran addition or two in the coming months. They could use a center, a safety and maybe another receiver.
The Raiders really made some interesting moves during the draft. OK, not initially. The Fernando Mendoza pick felt like a lock for months, and he might not even start the bulk of the games this season, but it felt like the only move. After that, the intrigue ramped up. Second-round DB Treydan Stukes was getting some Round 1 love late in the pre-draft process, and Las Vegas somehow landed CB Jermod McCoy -- medical concerns and all -- at the top of Round 4. Both were excellent choices. Edge rusher Keyron Crawford made a deep group deeper, but the hidden meaning was revealed after Tyree Wilson was traded. The Raiders also could attempt to trade Maxx Crosby again one day -- you never know. The Mike Washington Jr. pick also could help keep Ashton Jeanty fresh and used in the best ways possible. There's still a lot to do, but it's OK to feel like dawn isn't too far off.
One pick after another, I kept thinking Miami was putting in quality work over the weekend. Normally, I'd question the wisdom of stockpiling 13 selections in a draft that few teams were excited about, but I think the Dolphins were finding treasure where others only saw trash. And you really can't gripe about much of what they did. At the very least, the Fins laid a foundation to help fill out a roster that has been bloodletting for some time now. Not all 13 of these guys are going to go on to long NFL careers, and the Kadyn Proctor debate -- were there better options? -- has merit, but I think more than half of Miami's picks have a good chance to raise this team's floor. A really nice start to the Jon-Eric Sullivan/Jeff Hafley era, I think.
I personally would have taken Arvell Reese over David Bailey, if I must nitpick, but I mostly loved the work the Jets put in during the draft. Their biggest need was arguably raw talent, especially on defense, and they landed two (or possibly three) starters. D'Angelo Ponds was a draft crush I shared with many other folks. The other big concern was adding playmaking skill on offense, and Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. are two pretty hopeful sources of that. The Cade Klubnik pick … Well, we'll see. I more pegged New York for Taylen Green or Cole Payton. Next year's draft is most likely where Gang Green's next hope at QB comes from, but there's little harm in trying to find one prior to that.
The Cardinals made a call on Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, and I respect the player and the opportunity. I also am not one of these guys who will harp on the "diminished value" of running backs, because I believe the position is more important now than it was a few years ago, with the run game cycling back into the league again. From a market-efficiency standpoint, though, it's not the smartest move, even without a high-priced QB on the roster, and I just worry that Love's rookie year could end up looking like what we just saw with Ashton Jeanty in Vegas. My hope is that Mike LaFleur can start to mold an identity with this offense, pump some life into Marvin Harrison Jr. and upgrade the QB play. Love can help with that process, and maybe Carson Beck is a surprise option at quarterback, but it's hard to be overly optimistic for any quick fixes right now.