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The 2026 NFL Draft featured a handful of unexpected moves.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was not one of those surprise picks. The Las Vegas Raiders selected Mendoza as their next franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Mendoza led Indiana to the College Football Playoff championship and was the most decorated player in college football. Who were the other players who might have been considered the best player in the draft?
We're talking about Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The Cardinals drafted Love with the No. 3 pick, and Dallas traded up to get Downs with the No. 11 pick. Those were surprise moves. Then, the Los Angeles Rams pulled off the stunner of the first round by selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13.
How did those surprise moves register on Thursday? Who were the winners and losers after a fast-paced first round in front of 320,000 fans in Pittsburgh? Sporting News takes a closer look:
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available
2026 NFL Draft winners: Round 1
Jeremiyah Love
The Cardinals selected Love with the No. 3 pick – which is the highest a running back has been selected in the draft since the Giants took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick in 2018. Love flashed at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash – and he was the ultimate big-play running back for the Irish with 39 runs of 10 yards or more last season.
Love will be pressured to be an elite running back right away with first-year coach Mike LaFleur, but the talent for a fantastic career is there. Arizona went best player in the draft at an impact position – and that is not a reach.
MORE: Where Jeremiyah Love ranks among highest-drafted RBs in recent NFL Draft history
New York Giants
The Giants had two top-10 picks after trading defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals on April 20, and first-year coach John Harbaugh made two quality picks. The Jets drafted Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey at No. 2, so Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese fell to the Giants at the No. 5 pick. Reese had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He joins a pass rush that features Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, who was the No. 3 pick in 2025.
New York added Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa – a 6-6, 315-pounder who allowed just two sacks last season. He will be a long-term protector for quarterback Jaxson Dart. It's a no-nonsense first round that typifies what Harbaugh brings to the Big Apple.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were expected to go wide receiver-tackle with their two first-round picks and they did not panic when the Titans took Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick. Cleveland traded back with Kansas City and landed Utah tackle Spencer Fano with the No. 9 pick. Fano won the Outland Trophy last season and did not allow a sack for the Utes. That was an easy selection at that point.
Cleveland took Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion with the No. 26 pick. Concepcion had 61 catches for 919 yards and led the SEC with nine receptions. He also adds value in the return game. That is a solid first draft for first-year coach Todd Monken.
Dallas Cowboys trade up for Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs was the fourth Ohio State player selected in the first round behind Reese, Tate and Sonny Styles (No. 7), but Dallas owner Jerry Jones made the right call by moving up one spot with Miami to select the two-time Unanimous All-American safety. Downs had 68 tackles, five tackles for loss and two interceptions as arguably the best defensive player in the draft. Dallas got good value with the pick – and he is an immediate Pro Bowl-caliber player.
The Cowboys selected UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 pick. Lawrence had seven sacks and should add to the Dallas pass rush.
MORE: Cowboys defense projection with Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence
First-round tackles as value picks
Seven tackles were selected in the first round. Cleveland started the run at No. 9 with Fano. The Giants took Mauigoa, and Miami grabbed Alabama tackle Kaydn Proctor at No. 12.
Detroit took Clemson's Blake Miller at No. 17, and Carolina grabbed Georgia's Monroe Freeling at No. 19. Pittsburgh used the No. 21 pick to draft Arizona State's Max Iheanachor, one of our favorite first-round sleepers in this draft.
New England traded up to get Utah's Caleb Lomu with the No. 28 pick. Those six tackles combined to allow just eight sacks at the FBS level last season. It was a quality position group that highlighted the first round.
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2026: QBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE | RBs
2026 NFL Draft losers: Round 1
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams made the NFC championship game with NFL MVP Matthew Stafford in 2025. Yet Los Angeles signaled a transition by taking Simpson with the No. 13 pick – which might have been a reach considering the Alabama quarterback could have easily fallen to the second round.
What does this mean for Stafford? The 38-year-old quarterback has one year left on his contract. Los Angeles made a statement that Simpson — otherwise they would not have spent a high first-round pick. Simpson impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he is that polarizing quarterback that Los Angeles talked themselves into in 2026. It's a hit-or-miss endeavor with more misses than hits, so this is a risky pick for a team that will have to balance being in the NFC championship hunt with constant talk about the succession timetable for Stafford. Ask Green Bay.
MORE: Why Rams made surprising choice to take Ty Simpson at No. 12
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City traded up with the Cleveland Browns to get the No. 6 pick to get LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who will be the replacement for Trent McDuffie, who signed with the Rams. Kansas City gave up the No. 74 and No. 141 picks to get Delane, who might have been available at No. 9 anyway. He is a safe pick who should make an impact right away.
The Chiefs also drafted Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods with the No. 29 pick, to pair with veteran Chris Jones. Woods will need to be more consistent. Kansas City drafted based on need, but now the Chiefs have just one pick on Day 2. Kansas City's Super Bowl window remains open, but was this enough on Day 1?
MORE: Grading the trade that landed Mansoor Delane with Chiefs
Rueben Bain's first-round slide
Bain – who was in the conversation as a potential top-five pick before the draft process started based on elite production – slipped to the No. 14 pick. Why did Bain fall after finishing with 12 sacks and 68 quarterback hurries for the Hurricanes?
It's about arm length. He has arms that measured 30 7/8 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, and according to Warren Sharp no player with arms less than 31 inches has had a 10-sack season in the last 20 years.
Bain should help Tampa Bay's pass rush. YaYa Diaby led the Buccaneers with seven sacks last season, and Bain should have the added motivation from a draft-day slide.
MORE: Why Rueben Bain fell to the Bucs at No. 15
Kayden McDonald
The Ohio State defensive tackle was left in the green room, which was a bit of a surprise. That prevented the Buckeyes from getting five first-round picks. McDonald – a 6-2, 326-pounder – will be one of the value picks on Day 2.
A.J. Brown's time in Philadelphia
That will be an open question now. The Eagles selected Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon, a dynamic receiver from USC, with the No. 20 pick in a trade with Dallas. The Eagles also added Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks. Does that mean Brown – who spent the last four seasons in Philadelphia – will be on the move? That is another storyline that will be impossible to avoid now.
MORE: What Makai Lemon pick means for A.J. Brown's future with Eagles
The SEC
The Big Ten led all conferences with 10 first-round picks. Ohio State had four picks, and Oregon and Indiana had two picks apiece. USC and Penn State also had one first-round pick each. That is another sign of the power of an 18-team conference that stretches from coast to coast.
The SEC tied the ACC with seven first-round picks. Will this trend hold up on Day 2 and Day 3? That is something to keep an eye on.
Were the New York Jets winners or losers?
This could go either way. The Jets had three first-round picks, and they went against the mocks.
Bailey over Reese is not a deal-breaker. Bailey had 81 pressures for Texas Tech last season, according to Pro Football Focus – and his production is impossible to ignore. New York then used the No. 16 pick on Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who had 51 catches on 67 targets and impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine. New York could have gone with a wide receiver there, but they waited until No. 30 to get Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr., which is arguably their best pick of the first round.
The Jets are coming off a 3-14 season. Will these moves inspire more confidence under second-year coach Aaron Glenn? Bailey and Sadiq will have to deliver. New York will also have three first-round picks in next year's draft.
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