The 2026 NFL Draft is under way in Pittsburgh!
Here you will find my quick thoughts on each fantasy position player. I will update round by round with the charts and player notes. Goal is to have all done by Sunday.
Round 1:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 1 | 1.01 | QB | Fernando Mendoza | LV | Indiana |
| 3 | 1.03 | RB | Jeremiyah Love | ARI | Notre Dame |
| 4 | 1.04 | WR | Carnell Tate | TEN | Ohio State |
| 8 | 1.08 | WR | Jordyn Tyson | NO | Arizona State |
| 13 | 1.13 | QB | Ty Simpson | LAR | Alabama |
| 16 | 1.16 | TE | Kenyon Sadiq | NYJ | Oregon |
| 20 | 1.20 | WR | Makai Lemon | PHI | USC |
| 24 | 1.24 | WR | KC Concepcion | CLE | Texas A&M |
| 30 | 1.30 | WR | Omar Cooper Jr. | NYJ | Indiana |
| 32 | 1.32 | RB | Jadarian Price | SEA | Notre Dame |
1.01 QB Fernando Mendoza – LV
While I don’t think Mendoza is as strong of a 1.01 QB as we have seen in the past, he’s a winner and a great person first and foremost. I am excited to see what Las Vegas can build around him. With Kirk Cousins as the mentor, we might see Mendoza sit for a while to begin the year, and possible the whole year. When I sit down to do my dynasty draft rankings, I think I’ll have Mendoza #2 or #3 in Superflex rankings. Would like to see the Raiders continue to add talent at WR to go around Bowers and Jeanty.
1.03 RB Jeremiyah Love – ARI
The slam dunk blue chip prospect lands in Arizona at #3 overall, a bit of a surprise. The Cardinals paid FA RB Tyler Allgeier, which now seems a bit odd, but I don’t think we have anything to worry about with taking Love 1.01 in all dynasty rookie formats. We also have veteran James Conner returning from injury and Trey Benson lingering around. This Cardinals team will be bad again this year, possibly putting themselves into the Archie Manning sweepstakes. Love will be the focal point of this offense and should put up Top 5, if not Top 10 RB numbers as a rookie with the upside of RB1 seasons in the future.
1.04 WR Carnell Tate – TEN
I’m not sure Tate is worth a top 5 NFL draft slot, but for the Titans, this fills a major need and helps out Cam Ward. I think Cam Ward’s rookie numbers may be a little deceiving from how he actually played. Considering the lack of talent on offense, Ward looked poised and should benefit greatly from getting a true WR1. I think Tate is a very good WR, I’m just unsure on his ceiling as we did not see elite college numbers at Ohio State. Once my rookie draft rankings come out, I’m sure he’ll be the 3rd or 4th player in my rankings and will take a little leap of faith to select.
1.08 WR Jordyn Tyson – NO
Tyson landing in New Orleans was a pleasant surprise. The Saints have lacked a serious WR2 for quite some time, and now Tyson slides in next to Chris Olave and potentially forms a WR1a WR1b situation. Unlike Tate, we saw an elite college season from Tyson in 2024 and a very strong one in 2025 despite just playing 9 games. We saw very good things from QB Tyler Shough last year, and I expect that to continue with this addition of Jordyn Tyson. He might be WR1 in rookie drafts for me, but we’ll see.
1.13 QB Ty Simpson – LAR
The most surprising pick of the evening, no doubt. I’ve had concerns on Ty Simpson just being a mid level backup, but apparently the Rams think very highly of Simpson’s ceiling. He’ll get to ride the bench behind Matthew Stafford for at least one more season. I’m not sure why the Rams decided to pull this lever in a tight super bowl window with an aging QB, but perhaps history shows this to be a wise move. I wish we had more data on Simpson as he was just a one year starter at Alabama. He’ll be a top 10/12 Superflex pick for me.
1.16 TE Kenyon Sadiq – NYJ
Poor one out for TE Mason Taylor. Kenyon Sadiq is a freak athlete at the TE position, similar to a Kyle Pitts profile. We obviously have QB concerns in New York, but with Geno Smith there for this year at least, it’s easy to see Sadiq stepping in year one and being a productive TE for fantasy. We’ve seen a trend of late with rookie TE’s putting up big numbers, and operating as the 2nd target in the Jets offense has some intrigue. The Jets did take a WR in the back of the first round, so we’ll address that soon, but I like Sadiq enough to flirt with my top 5 of rookie rankings.
1.20 WR Makai Lemon – PHI
With AJ Brown likely on his way out of Philly, Makai Lemon has the chance to step right in to a major role for the Eagles. I think DeVonta Smith is likely to lead the team in receiving stats for 2026, but with Lemon’s skillset, it’s easy to see him being the WR1 of the future. He compares himself to Amon-Ra St. Brown which is great, but we still have some worries on Jalen Hurts being able to deliver consistent production to his WRs. Lemon has some elite diva WR qualities which may turn some people off, but his ceiling is excitingly high.
1.24 WR KC Concepcion – CLE
Concepcion doesn’t have the flashiest college profile, but he put up three solid seasons with his first two at NC State before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior year. His freshman season at NC State, he racked up 71 catches for 839 yards and 10TDs. We like that. As a junior at A&M, he caught 61 passes for 919 yards and 10TDs. He gets open fast and should have no problem carving out a role in the Browns offense this season. I am not sure he’s a fantasy WR1 at any point of his career, but I like the skillset and opportunity for him. Fun player.
1.30 WR Omar Cooper Jr. – NYJ
Omar Cooper got better every year at Indiana and finished his Junior season with 69 catches for 937yds and 13 TDs. He’s got good size and mostly played slot last year, so I’ll be interested to see if that’s the role for him on the Jets. With Garrett Wilson outside, Cooper and Sadiq are going to get a lot of nice matchups in the middle of the field and down the seams. I think he has some WR2 seasons in his bag and likely a back end first round rookie pick.
1.32 RB Jadarian Price – SEA
I did not expect to see a second running back on day one, but here we are. It’s an obvious need for Seattle with losing Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet nursing an injury. I am unsure what happens when Charbonnet returns, but Price has an easy path to be the teams lead back this year. My biggest concern with Price is that he only has 15 career receptions over his three college seasons at Notre Dame. We know he can run the rock, but with pass protection and receiving skills uncertain, I think he’ll lack PPR juice. Perhaps his fantasy profile will be similar to a Quinshon Judkins to start the year. Charbonnet is a FA in 2027, so patience may pay off if you are drafting Price in the mid first of your rookie drafts.
Round 2:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 33 | 2.01 | WR | De’Zhaun Stribling | SF | Ole Miss |
| 39 | 2.07 | WR | Denzel Boston | CLE | Washington |
| 47 | 2.15 | WR | Germie Bernard | PIT | Alabama |
| 54 | 2.22 | TE | Eli Stowers | PHI | Vanderbilt |
| 56 | 2.24 | TE | Nate Boerkircher | JAX | Texas A&M |
| 59 | 2.27 | TE | Marlin Klein | HOU | Michigan |
| 61 | 2.29 | TE | Max Klare | LAR | Ohio State |
2.01 WR De’Zhaun Stribling – SF
Stribling reminds me of Jauan Jennings. Stribling brings a nice blend of size and speed to the 49ers WR room featuring Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk. Picking Stribling in dynasty will require some patience, waiting for injury ahead of him or potentially starting in 2027.
2.07 WR Denzel Boston – CLE
Cleveland drafts another WR early and now has a WR room with Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston at the top. Boston put up back to back 60+ catch and 800yd + seasons with 9 and 11 TDs the last two years. He has great ball skills and wins contested catches and could easily lead this team in TDS as a rookie. I am assuming Jeudy and Boston are the outside WRs and Concepcion is the slot, but perhaps they can all be moved around. Good pick by Cleveland.
2.15 WR Germie Bernard – PIT
Bernard bounced from MSU to Washington and then settled at Alabama for the last two years, putting up 64rec, 862yds and 7 TDs last year. Bernard settles in as the Steelers WR3 behind Pittman and Metcalf, so for fantasy purposes, we’ll need to be patient for that 2027 outlook. I believe Bernard can run a full route tree and should be able to play all positions, but I’m guessing he’s mostly slot for this year. This is a good long term pick for the Steelers.
2.22 TE Eli Stowers – PHI
Stowers is a former QB and has played TE for just three seasons, but presents exciting athleticism. The Eagles have Dallas Goedert signed for 2026, but perhaps 2027 could be the year Stowers is unleashed as TE1. 35-366-2 in 2023 as his first year at TE, 49-638-5 in year two at Vanderbilt, and 62-769-4 his final year at Vandy. It’s an impressive athletic profile and if you are patient, we might get a stud TE1 by 2027.
2.24 TE Nate Boerkircher – JAX
A classic Jaguars pick. Boerkircher does not need to be drafted in dynasty rookie drafts. He’s basically an offensive line who can catch. Only 38 career catches across 5 collegiate years, the Jags are bringing him in to be TE2 and help the run game. He can catch the ball and do some nice things, but he’ll never be a fantasy asset unless injuries happen ahead of him.
2.27 TE Marlin Klein – HOU
Similar to Boerkircher, I don’t think Klein needs to be on our dynasty rookie draft radar. He’ll be TE3 behind Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover for the year and profiles just as a backup TE.
2.29 TE Max Klare – LAR
The TE run ends with Max Klare going to the Rams. He’s got a solid profile as a receiver with 43-448-2 last year at Ohio State, and 51-685-4 the year before with Purdue. The Rams deployed many TEs last year so I’m not quite sure where the fit will be for Klare. He’s going to split time with Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen. Kinda scratching my head here at the Rams. I like the player but what are we doing with this TE group.
Round 3:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 65 | 3.01 | QB | Carson Beck | ARI | Miami |
| 69 | 3.05 | TE | Sam Roush | CHI | Stanford |
| 71 | 3.07 | WR | Antonio Williams | WAS | Clemson |
| 73 | 3.09 | TE | Oscar Delp | NO | Georgia |
| 74 | 3.10 | WR | Malachi Fields | NYG | Notre Dame |
| 75 | 3.11 | WR | Caleb Douglas | MIA | Texas Tech |
| 76 | 3.12 | QB | Drew Allar | PIT | Penn State |
| 79 | 3.15 | WR | Zachariah Branch | ATL | Georgia |
| 80 | 3.16 | WR | Ja’Kobi Lane | BAL | USC |
| 83 | 3.19 | WR | Chris Brazzell II | CAR | Tennessee |
| 84 | 3.20 | WR | Ted Hurst | TB | Georgia State |
| 87 | 3.23 | TE | Will Kacmarek | MIA | Ohio State |
| 89 | 3.25 | WR | Zavion Thomas | CHI | LSU |
| 90 | 3.26 | RB | Kaelon Black | SF | Indiana |
| 94 | 3.30 | WR | Chris Bell | MIA | Louisville |
| 95 | 3.31 | TE | Eli Raridon | NE | Notre Dame |
3.01 QB Carson Beck – ARI
Beck will be worth a shot later in Superflex drafts, but I don’t expect him to be the long term answer for Arizona. I have viewed him as a backup QB throughout the draft process and while we might get a look at him late in 2026, I have to believe the Cardinals are picking a QB in the Top 5 of the draft next year.
3.05 TE Sam Roush – CHI
Roush is a sound blocking TE2 and will eventually slide in next to Colston Loveland as the Bears TE2. Cole Kmet is still on the roster so I’m not sure how often Roush gets on the field in 2026, but we probably don’t need to be drafting Roush in fantasy drafts.
3.07 WR Antonio Williams – WAS
Williams had 4 productive seasons at Clemson and has the chance to operate as the WR2 this year for Washington. After Terry McLaurin, the Commanders have Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown. When I watched Williams play, he often reminded me of Wan’Dale Robinson but with a little more size. He’ll be a fun pick for me in the 2nd/3rd round of rookie drafts.
3.09 TE Oscar Delp – NO
Delp played 4 years at Georgia and basically had the same stats for the past three years, catching around 20-25 passes for 250yds and 2-4 TDs. The Saints have Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant ahead of him for this season, so I’m not sure I see Delp being a priority stash pick late in rookie drafts.
3.10 WR Malachi Fields – NYG
Fields is 6’4″ and nearly 220lbs. He caught 5 TDs in each of the last three seasons, two of those at Virginia and his final year at Notre Dame. The Giants needed size at the WR position and Fields can operate as their WR3/4 as early as this year, competing with Darius Slayton. There’s a chance he simply replaces Slayton’s role in the future and is WR2.
3.11 WR Caleb Douglas – MIA
Douglas started at Florida and then moved to Texas Tech for his final two seasons and put up nearly identical stat lines of 60-877-6 and 54-846-7. The Dolphins need bodies at WR, and Douglas presents a long target (6’3″) and can make some impressive big time catches while also missing some easy ones. The Dolphins have no clear lead WR on the team yet, so he’ll be worth a look late in rookie drafts.
3.12 QB Drew Allar – PIT
Allar is an exciting pick for the Steelers but will require some ultra patience for dynasty drafters. They have Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and potentially Aaron Rodgers on the roster this year. I’m not sure Allar beats out Will Howard this year, but it would be a good camp battle to watch. Allar has some really nice seasons back in 2023 and 2024 and has the potential to develop into a starter some day.
3.15 WR Zachariah Branch – ATL
Branch is an athletic smaller WR at 5-8″ and 177lbs. He had two productive years at USC before transferring to Georgia last year where he put up 81 catches, 811yds and 6 TDs. I don’t want to keep comparing small WRs to Wan’Dale Robinson, but that’s pretty much the role I see for him on ATL. He’s tough for a lil guy too. The Falcons have Drake London at the top, but after that it’s pretty wide open for Branch to grab a starting role in year one.
3.16 WR Ja’Kobi Lane – BAL
Lane had two solid seasons at USC and gives the Ravens a huge target for the red zone and deep shots. After Zay Flowers, we have Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker and a bunch of junk, so there’s some upside for Lane to earn a starting outside WR job right away.
3.19 WR Chris Brazzell II – CAR
Brazzell lit up 2025 with 62-1017-9 for Tennessee. He’s 6’4″ and about 200lbs and super fast. Think explosive plays. I’m sure he’s a great WR at the short and intermediate areas, but the Panthers are getting a home run threat who will look to beat out Xavier Legette for play time this year.
3.20 WR Ted Hurst – TB
Hurst had two great years at Georgia State, putting up 56-961-9 and 71-1004-6. He’s huge at 6’4″ 206lbs and has the vertical ability the Bucs are looking for to help replace Mike Evans. I think he can survive the jump in competition, but he has to beat out Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson for playing time as a rookie.
3.23 TE Will Kacmarek – MIA
Just another blocking TE here. Miami’s roster is so bad, so maybe he has a chance to snag some work this year. Greg Dulcich is TE1, so who knows.
3.25 WR Zavion Thomas – CHI
I think the Bears are looking at Thomas as a quality depth WR with the ability to start as a return man. Probably not a dynasty rookie pick.
3.26 RB Kaelon Black – SF
Finally! RB3 is here with Kaelon Black. He was the starting RB for Indiana last year and put up 1040 yards and 10 TDs. The Hoosiers did not let him catch the ball often, only 8 total catches in two years, but he did catch 44 passes in his first two years at James Madison. The 49ers are getting a tough grinder type of back who offers little explosiveness, but hey, he’ll compete for RB2 work right away.
3.30 WR Chris Bell – MIA
Bell was having a nice final year at Louisville before tearing his ACL. He finished with 72-917-6 in 2025 and just might be the Dolphins leading WR1 this year in terms of targets and receptions. Worth a late flier.
3.31 TE Eli Raridon – NE
Raridon finally popped in his last year at Notre Dame and is a raw yet ascending TE. Hunter Henry holds down the TE1 spot, but we know the Patriots love 2TE sets. Raridon is likely not going to be putting up big numbers unless Henry gets hurt, and even then, who knows.
Round 4:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 105 | 4.05 | WR | Brenen Thompson | LAC | Mississippi State |
| 108 | 4.08 | RB | Jonah Coleman | DEN | Washington |
| 110 | 4.10 | QB | Cade Klubnik | NYJ | Clemson |
| 115 | 4.15 | WR | Elijah Sarratt | BAL | Indiana |
| 121 | 4.21 | WR | Kaden Wetjen | PIT | Iowa |
| 122 | 4.22 | RB | Mike Washington Jr. | LV | Arkansas |
| 125 | 4.25 | WR | Skyler Bell | BUF | UConn |
| 133 | 4.33 | TE | Matthew Hibner | BAL | SMU |
| 136 | 4.36 | WR | Bryce Lance | NO | North Dakota State |
| 140 | 4.40 | WR | Colbie Young | CIN | Georgia |
For the remaining rounds, I will do a quick summary paragraph and highlight the players that interest me the most.
The Chargers took a small but freaky fast WR in Brenen Thompson (4.26 40 speed). The Broncos took dual threat RB Jonah Coleman. He will be RB3 behind Dobbins and Harvey, but presents a high ceiling if you have the patience. The Ravens took WR Elijah Sarratt, a highly productive college career capped by his 15 TD season last year with Indiana. The Ravens need help at WR and have drafted Sarratt in the 4th and Ja’Kobi Lane in the 3rd. My favorite pick of the 4th round is WR Skyler Bell by Buffalo. Bell caught 101 receptions for 1,278yds and 13 TDs last year with UConn and has a chance to be a big part of the offense at some point. I’m not sure I see any slam dunk sleeper picks for your rookie drafts in the 4th round, but I like Bell and stashing Coleman for now.
Round 5:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 143 | 5.03 | WR | Reggie Virgil | ARI | Texas Tech |
| 152 | 5.12 | TE | Justin Joly | DEN | NC State |
| 159 | 5.19 | TE | Max Bredeson | MIN | Michigan |
| 161 | 5.21 | RB | Emmett Johnson | KC | Nebraska |
| 164 | 5.24 | TE | Tanner Koziol | JAX | Houston |
| 165 | 5.25 | RB | Nicholas Singleton | TEN | Penn State |
| 168 | 5.28 | WR | Kendrick Law | DET | Kentucky |
| 169 | 5.29 | TE | Riley Nowakowski | PIT | Indiana |
| 170 | 5.30 | TE | Joe Royer | CLE | Cincinnati |
| 173 | 5.33 | TE | Josh Cuevas | BAL | Alabama |
| 174 | 5.34 | RB | Adam Randall | BAL | RB |
| 176 | 5.36 | WR | Cyrus Allen | KC | Cincinnati |
| 177 | 5.37 | WR | Kevin Coleman Jr. | MIA | Missouri |
| 178 | 5.38 | QB | Cole Payton | PHI | North Dakota State |
| 180 | 5.40 | TE | Seydou Traore | MIA | Mississippi State |
Emmett Johnson is the name to keep on eye on, drafted by KC. He rushed for 1,451yds and 12 TDs while catching 46 passes for 370yds and 3 more TDs last year for Nebraska. He’s a great receiving back, catching 39 passes in 2024 as well. I know Kenneth Walker is there and they like Brashard Smith, but Johnson may compete for that classic Jerick McKinnon role in Reid’s offense. Justin Joly was a productive TE all four years of his career, two at UConn and his last two at NC State. The Broncos are always using a carousel of TEs, but perhaps he leads the TE room in the future. Tanner Koziol is another intriguing TE taken by Jacksonville. He caught 74 passes for 727yds and 6 TDs last year at Houston, and 94rec for 839yds and 8 TDs the year before at Ball State. He’s not a super athletic TE, but he shows the ability to catch passes for 8-10 yards a clip.
Nicholas Singleton is a productive back from Penn State, rushing over 1k yards twice in his freshman and junior years. He also has 102 career receptions, showing potential for a three down role if it presents itself in Tennesee. Adam Randall played four years at Clemson but only was used as the lead back in his final year. He is a converted WR turned RB with 84 career receptions and rushed for 814yds and 10 TDs as a senior. We’ve seen some success from these type of converts (Antonio Gibson, Tyrone Tracy) and Baltimore always utilizes a receiving back well.
Kevin Coleman Jr. is a productive slot WR for the Miami Dolphins and has a chance to earn a starting role. The Dolphins drafted 3rd Round WRs Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas, but Coleman could beat out Malik Washington for slot work at some point. The Dolphins also drafted TE Seydou Traore, who has 131 career receptions for 1,482yds and 10 TDs. They again drafted TE in the 3rd Round, but I think Traore has the better profile as their receiving TE.
Round 6:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 182 | 6.01 | QB | Taylen Green | CLE | Arkansas |
| 185 | 6.04 | TE | Bauer Sharp | TB | LSU |
| 187 | 6.06 | RB | Kaytron Allen | WAS | Penn State |
| 190 | 6.09 | WR | Barion Brown | NO | LSU |
| 191 | 6.10 | WR | Josh Cameron | JAX | Baylor |
| 195 | 6.14 | WR | Malik Benson | LV | Oregon |
| 197 | 6.16 | WR | CJ Daniels | LAR | Miami |
| 198 | 6.17 | RB | Demond Claiborne | MIN | Wake Forest |
| 199 | 6.18 | WR | Emmanuel Henderson Jr. | SEA | Kansas |
| 203 | 6.22 | WR | CJ Williams | JAX | Stanford |
| 204 | 6.23 | WR | Lewis Bond | HOU | Boston College |
Did the Browns need another QB? No. But they drafted the electric QB Taylen Green out of Arkansas with the opening pick in the 6th round. He’s an elite rushing QB but will need some time to develop as a passer. If you think Sheduer Sanders will fail, perhaps Green is a good stash with the potential to start some games at some point in the next season or two. The Washington Commanders take RB Kaytron Allen out of Penn State, and this might be sleeper pick you have been waiting for. Four productive years at Penn State, but the last two he rushed for 1,108yds and 1,303 with a combined 23 TDs. He also caught 18 receptions in both of those years and has 70 in his four year career. The Commanders have a busy RB room with Rachaad White, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols, but I think Kaytron might be the best runner of the group.
The Jaguars took two WRs here in the 6th Round to compete as their #4-5-6 WRs. Josh Cameron has the stronger profile and put together two strong seasons at Baylor, catching 19 TDs in those last two years. He’s built like an RB at 6’1″ and 220lbs. CJ Daniels is a bit of a project but has a good feel for the art of route running.
Demond Claiborne is another sleeper RB for your rookie drafts, potentially starting for the Vikings in 2027. He has a chance to play this year if/when Aaron Jones misses time. He’s small, but has the electric juice actually similar to an Aaron Jones.
Round 7:
| # | Pick | Pos. | Player | Team | School |
| 218 | 7.02 | WR | Anthony Smith | DAL | East Carolina |
| 221 | 7.05 | TE | Jack Endries | CIN | Texas |
| 223 | 7.07 | QB | Athan Kaliakmanis | WAS | Rutgers |
| 225 | 7.09 | TE | Jaren Kanak | TEN | Oklahoma |
| 230 | 7.14 | RB | Eli Heidenreich | PIT | Navy |
| 234 | 7.18 | QB | Behren Morton | NE | Texas Tech |
| 237 | 7.21 | RB | Seth McGowan | IND | Kentucky |
| 245 | 7.29 | RB | Jam Miller | NE | Alabama |
| 248 | 7.32 | TE | Carsen Ryan | CLE | BYU |
| 249 | 7.33 | QB | Garrett Nussmeier | KC | LSU |
| 254 | 7.38 | WR | Deion Burks | IND | Oklahoma |
| 256 | 7.40 | TE | Dallen Bentley | DEN | Utah |
We finally see some QBs go here in the 7th, but nothing to note for rookie drafts. RB Eli Heidenreich was one of my favorite sleepers during the draft research process. He’s an elite receiving threat and will be mixed in as a rusher much like they used Kenneth Gainwell last year. I think that’s his potential role right away if things click for him at camp.
I will be working on my Rookie Draft rankings this week, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading.