Jared Zhang's 2026 First Round Draft Grades

Draft Night, Johnny Manziel

Happy Draft Day Everyone!

My name is Jared Zhang, and I have been making draft content for a few years now on Reddit, Substack, and now TikTok. Every year I plan on releasing my grades on the first round and overall classes for every single team. I will be using a simple A-F scale with brief prospect descriptions and explanations on my grading. I will try to be generous to teams as there is info related to trades, character, interviews, etc that will impact draft picks that I would not have access to. Let’s get started!

1. Las Vegas Raiders - Fernando Mendoza - QB - Indiana - B

A pretty chalk 1.01 selection, the Raiders do a good job of not overthinking the selection and picking the top QB for a QB-needy team. While I am not the biggest fan of Mendoza as a prospect (he is a pretty raw pocket mover with a tendency to panic under pressure), I do believe he has enough tools and upside to develop into a competent starting QB if he works out his kinks as a prospect. What I love about the pick is that the Raiders are not rushing Mendoza on the field with Kirk Cousins being announced as the week one starter. Mendoza getting the luxury of time and patience before he is “the guy” makes me optimistic about his career outcome in the NFL.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Mendoza

2. New York Jets - David Bailey - EDGE - Texas Tech - F

While I try not to be overly negative, I do think this pick was pretty horrible by the Jets. David Bailey did have a lot of hype as a draft prospect, but I assumed he would slip down the draft in a similar fashion to other EDGE prospects I thought were overhyped (Ex. I had Mike Green and Donovan Ezeiruaku as Day Two players). My main issue with Bailey is that his lack of size and bend through contract severely limit his ability to win the corner on starting NFL OTs. Bailey’s length, closing speed, and coverage ability give him solid early-down ability, but I question his ability to be an impactful pass rusher outside of being a solid speed-to-power player. I personally don’t see what you’re getting out of Bailey that you’re not getting out of recent FA addition Joseph Ossai in terms of skillset and ability. I would not be shocked if we saw Ossai and McDonald out-snapping Bailey in his rookie season (assuming good health).

3. Arizona Cardinals - Jeremiyah Love - RB - Notre Dame - A

The RB market is no longer cooked! Arizona continued to build on an extensive war chest of high-end weapons by adding the very talented Jeremiyah Love. A smart big-play threat with high-end potential as a receiver out of the backfield, Love is going to help establish the Cardinal’s ground game to help build LaFleur’s play-action heavy passing attack. While I would have personally leaned QB or OT, I do like the idea of taking Love if the organization felt the talent drop off was too steep between Love and the next top QB/OT. The team is likely looking toward 2027 to fill the hole at signal caller, and whoever they select/sign is entering a great situation if they can answer RT in FA or in the draft.

4. Tennessee Titans - Carnell Tate - WR - Ohio State - B

My early-season Carnell Tate WR1 take is aging beautifully. Tate lacks high-end positional tools, but he has enough size, speed, and refinement to be a team’s lead pass catcher. While I was shocked to see Tate go as high as 4, I believe he is a great player and will be the Titans’ WR1 as a rookie. With him being a great press-man separator, RAC threat, and contested-catch winner, Tate is going to quickly become Ward’s favorite target and get a lot of passes funneled to him. A new weapon and a good play caller make me optimistic that Tennessee can turn around its offense as long as they can get a competent player at RG to compete with Volson/Slater. If I had to bet on an early OROTY winner, then I would put money on Tate.

5. New York Giants - Arvell Reese - LB - Ohio State - B

Even though I would have selected two different Ohio State defenders over him, Arvell Reese is a fun, versatile player in a very deep Giants front seven. With him playing more of a hybrid/true LB role for the team, Reese is going to play a lot of early downs near the LOS as a contain player to help the team reach third-and-longs. In these true pass situations, Reese is going to be a good coverage player and blitzing threat to make it difficult for the offense to predict pre-snap what look the defense is going into post-snap. If the team is able to get competent DTs on day two, then the Giants can quickly become one of the scariest defenses in the NFL.

6. Kansas City Chiefs - Mansoor Delane - CB - LSU - A

While some draft/Chiefs fans were confused about a DB pick this high given Veach’s history of getting value in the later rounds, I am infuriated with the Chiefs getting another highly talented DB. A smooth, high-end athlete with multi-year NFL veteran technique, Delane is one of the safest prospects in this class to be a high-level starter. Delane steps into Kansas City’s DB room as the immediate CB1 with Fulton/Nohl competing at CB2 and Kader Kohu in the slot. If they are able to get another S starter, then the Chiefs could have one of the best secondaries in the NFL next year. Some people are mad about the trade up, but high-end technicians with good NFL athleticism are hard to come by + the trade up was relatively cheap.

7. Washington Commanders - Sonny Styles - LB - Ohio State - A

Great tape, great tools, great character, Sonny Styles is one of the few true blue-chip grades I had in this draft class. A high-end processor whose play speed is even faster, Styles has ridiculous fluidity and coverage range for a 240 lb man. Even though he could have better instincts playing the ball in the air and using his athleticism to break up passes, Styles immediately replaces Wagner’s role as the team’s green dot defender. While I think he should primarily play LB, I would not be shocked if we see some creative alignments with Styles given Quinn’s usage of players like Micah Parsons and Frankie Luvu. With Styles, Luvu, and Chenal, the Commanders quietly have one of the best LB corps in the NFL.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Styles

8. New Orleans Saints - Jordyn Tyson - WR - ASU - D

My second pick I am not a big fan of, Jordyn Tyson is a player I don’t think belongs in the top ten from a tape and off-field perspective. A good-not-great athlete with issues beating press, nagging injury issues, and inconsistent ball skills, Tyson lacks the necessary physical upside to be a true WR1 in the NFL. Hating aside, Tyson’s fit in New Orleans is very good as the flanker/Z with Olave as the X and Vele in the slot. Given how impactful Devonta Smith has been in a similar role working off a dominate WR1 in Moore’s offense, Tyson could make this grade age poorly even if I think he is a worse player than Smith.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Tyson

9. Cleveland Browns - Spencer Fano - OT - Utah - C

As someone who was lower on both Utah OTs, I am not a big fan of Fano in the T10. Undersized with poor length, inconsistent technique, and average range, Fano’s physical profile is a bit of a polar bear in Arlington situation when looking historically at most OT1s/T10 selections. For a team that was aggressive in answering four of the spots besides LT, the Browns passing up on more legitimate OT prospects for Fano is questionable. I do think the Fano likely ends up as a starter for the Browns (I think he can cap out as a low-end OT starter and good IOL starter), but I would not be shocked if this ages like the Campbell selection, where we would likely take multiple of the following OTs over him in a redraft.

10. New York Giants - Francis Mauigoa - OG - Miami - A

I am honestly upping my grade since the Giants are letting Mauigoa play OG. Mauigoa is a violent OL with good size and linear athleticism who had some range questions due to his foot speed and shorter legs. By sliding him inside to OG, the Giants are minimizing Mauigoa’s range limitation and putting him at the best spot for him on the OL. Out of all the first-round OL selections, Mauigoa likely has the strongest rookie season, even if he will have a learning curve playing OG for the first time. Though there was a prospect on the board I graded much higher than Mauigoa, I do not have the process of building the trenches for a young QB.

11. Dallas Cowboys - Caleb Downs - S - Ohio State - A

Trading up two day three picks to secure the best DB (with a working knee) in the class? Hell yeah. Downs is a player I felt got heavily overthought as the process went on. A hyper-intelligent, instinctive, and physical defender with underrated athletic tools, Downs is a versatile DB who can be anything from a single-high player to a big NB. With how teams are using bigger DBs in the slot, Downs can help the Cowboys follow league trends by adding more beef in their secondary. Given that we say two LBs and a RB in the T10, I was shocked that Downs lasted this long on the board.

12. Miami Dolphins - Kadyn Proctor - OT - Miami Dolphins - A

MY GUY! Kadyn Proctor was my OT1 and one of my highest graded players in this year’s class. A smart and gritty OT with high-end positional tools, Proctor looks and plays the part. Simply put, Proctor put up the best individual starts in the entire class (Ex. Look at the Tennessee game this year). Proctor’s biggest issue is maintaining his weight off-field to make sure he is playing in ideal shape on the field. While it is always a dice role taking prospects with off-field concerns, the potential returns of taking a diamond in the rough can be great if the team is able to work with the player. Though it was a different organization, the Dolphins have a history of working with talented OTs with off-field issues when the team drafted Tunsil in 2016. Proctor does have more risk than a lot of other selections at 12, but there is no better time to swing for the fences than at the beginning of a rebuild.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Proctor

13. Los Angeles Rams - Ty Simpson - QB - Alabama - A

Despite the pick being controversial, Ty Simpson was a good pick in my opinion. While the team is in a Super Bowl window, I believe the value of securing QB play for a team that is too talented to select high for a QB is great enough to take Simpson this high. A player I have a first-round grade on, Simpson is a great fit schematically with McVay’s offense due to his experience and ability to handle under-center play action pass concepts. The pick is understandably unpopular, but these are the kind of moves that extend windows and make dynasties (Could this be Montana to Young?)

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Simpson

14. Baltimore Ravens - Olaivavega Ioane - IOL - Penn State - C

This was high for Ioane in my opinion. Olaivavega Ioane was a bit of a wildcard prospect in the draft community, with opinions varying from him being the best OG prospect in the past 5 years and others thinking he was a day two prospect: I was aligned with the latter. Ioane has good size and great pass protection ability, but he is a pretty uninspiring pick for a T15 selection at OG. An average athlete who plays high, Ioane’s run game ability is pretty poor for a highly touted prospect. I do think the Ravens secured a starter at OG, but I think Vega is going to have a similar career to a lot of the day two selections at IOL in this draft class (I honestly would much rather go with Emory Jones at OG than select Vega this high).

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Ioane

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Rueben Bain Jr - EDGE - Miami - A

Easily my favorite pick of the class, Rueben Bain Jr is a great scheme fit with Tampa’s defensive front. While I was lower on Bain as a prospect compared to other top EDGE prospects (he would have been my EDGE 3 last year behind Carter and Stewart), I believe he was the only first-round caliber EDGE rusher this year. Whether crashing on a E-T stunt with Kancey, collapsing the pocket, or containing on early downs, Bain is going to be high-end role player as a rookie while having the traits to develop into a primary pass rush option. With him being the best one-on-one winner off the EDGE for Tampa, Bain could see early two-way-go work as a rookie. Given the positional value and the great scheme fit, Bain is my current favorite to win DROTY.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Bain

16. New York Jets - Kenyon Sadiq - TE - Oregon - B

While the pick confused some fans with the teams drafting Mason Taylor high last year, Kenyon Sadiq is a very fun pick for a team that needed pass-catcher talent. With teams running more heavy packages, Sadiq and Taylor are going to be on the field a lot together, with Taylor in-line and Sadiq as the move-TE. Sadiq is an exciting prospect due to his athletic tools, physicality as a blocker/ball carrier, and ball skills. I will never complain about adding a talented offensive player to a team that needed a better offense, but I question Sadiq’s ability to see the field in 11 personnel situations, given the Jets’ later selection.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Sadiq

17. Detroit Lions - Blake Miller - OT - Clemson - D

While I do like the culture fit due to his high character, Blake Miller at 17 is a classic Lions reach on a high-effort, gritty, toolsy player that the front office falls in love with (though this time its two rounds earlier than usual). Miller has good athletic tools and great length to develop as an OT, but I question his year-one floor and his upside compared to the remaining OTs on the board. With technique lapses and strength concerns that have not improved after four years of P4 football, I wonder how much of Miller’s deficiencies as a prospect are fixable and how much are just what he is as a player. Even though I am glad the Lions got an OT high in the draft, I fear the fan base and front office may wish they went a different direction at 17 given the board.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Miller

18. Minnesota Vikings - Caleb Banks - DT - Florida - D

Back-to-back rough picks for the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings take the gamble on Caleb Banks. Banks is a solid prospect who is a good fit for Minnesota’s attack front, but I wonder why he was the pick when there were two better talent and fit picks at DT on the board. Banks is a good athlete, but he falls in an unfortunate middle ground in his traits. Banks has good size, but he is extremely tall and high-cut, which limits his ability to push pockets well and anchor against double teams. Despite having the size for it, Banks is not really a NT due to his difficulty playing against combo blocks in the run game. Banks is a good athlete, but he is not that great of an athlete when you factor out his size and compare him to other penetrating DTs. What you are left with is a prospect who has the tools to be a starter, but he is not particularly great at any one thing on the field. Beyond not being the most talented DT on the board, Banks has major medical red flags with a foot injury that made him miss most of the 2025 season, which he broke again before the combine. A very questionable first pick for Minnesota’s new GM.

19. Carolina Panthers - Monroe Freeling - OT - Georgia - B

While I was surprised about the selection on draft day, I’m freeling better about the selection today. A great HWL prospect with good movement who greatly improved technically down the stretch, Freeling was a bit of a wildcard projection-wise whose grade rose for me as I watched him more-and-more. With all the tools to be a franchise OT, Freeling is a great addition to one of the better OLs in the NFL. With Ekwonu potentially not being the same post-patellar tendon injury and Moton being old, Carolina gives themselves a ton of flexibility in the future if they don’t extend Ekwonu and lose Moton to retirement/father time. Freeling has to compete for the starting LT job against FA Rasheed Walker, but I believe he is talented and pro-ready enough to win the week one starter job. If his injuries he sustained in his lone starting season were more of a fluke than a constant issue, then Freeling has the potential to be one of the best OTs in this draft class. I would have rather the team got another EDGE or WR at this pick, but I cannot hate the process of securing the trenches.

20. Philadelphia Eagles - Makai Lemon - WR - USC - B

There are some scheme fit question marks, but I am a big fan of this Lemon selection. With AJ Brown being as good as gone, Lemon fills in the Z/flanker role that Smith played, while Smith fills the vertical spacer role that Brown had when in 12 personnel. Out of 11, Lemon would move into the slot with recent addition Dontayvion Wicks plays X. Lemon was a player I was lower on than consensus, but getting him in the back half of the first is good value for a player I believe is one of the more pro-ready players in the class. I am not in love with Lemon’s upside as a prospect, but I am pretty confident Lemon is going to be a solid contributor for a win-now Eagles roster. I do share some of the scheme fit concerns with Lemon playing with a QB who historically is not great at targeting the middle of the field, but Lemon is talented enough for me to not be overly concerned about this.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Lemon

21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Max Iheanachor - OT - ASU - A

VINDICATION! I have been a massive fan of Max Iheanachor for a while now (I had him as a first-rounder before his meteoric rise post Senior Bowl). Iheanachor is a freaky tools prospect with high-end positional explosiveness, foot speed, and power. With the Steelers needing a potential replacement for Broderick Jones due to his play and injury situation, Ihenanachor brings another toolsy OT to take his place. If Jones can hang onto a starting OT job, then Iheanachor could also slide inside to OG or play RT with Fautanu kicking to OG. The pick will get its critics due to Iheanachor having technical issues, but Iheanachor’s frame and range give him enough of a floor to be a playable option that can blossom into one of the better OT starters in the league. Iheanachor will have his growing pains as he adjusts to the NFL, but his consistent, year-to-year improvement since he started playing football 5 years ago makes me confident that he can reach his upside.

22. Los Angles Chargers - Akheem Mesidor - EDGE - Miami - F

Akheem Mesidor begins a brutal stretch of late round selections as teams began to run out of first-round-worthy prospects at EDGE. Mesidor has overcome a lot of adversity to get to this point, but his play on the field is not worth a selection this high. Mesidor is a technically refined pass rusher who lacks the athletic traits to develop into a good enough pass rusher to make up for his lack of pocket push and run defense ability. Mesidor is a solid match-up hunter on the inside, but the Chargers have other players who do this role. While a team taking a player I graded as a day two player at 22 is not horrible, Mesidor having pretty bad medicals and being selected over several better DL prospects makes me really hate this selection. I’m glad Mesidor was able to secure a full guaranteed contract, but I think he ends up as a one-contract rotational DL player whose impact won’t match the draft capital used on him.

23. Dallas Cowboys - Malachi Lawrence - EDGE - UCF - D

As someone who was really high on Malachi Lawrence in the summer when he was relatively unknown, I have to admit this is very early for Lawrence. A high-end tester with a great frame, Lawrence, from a testing standpoint, seems like a steal this late in the draft. However, Lawrence is a good example of a player not really playing up to their testing numbers. Lawrence is fast and long, but he struggles to win the corner consistently due to being easily bothered by contact. Beyond that, Lawrence is a poor run defender without much power in his game. Lawrence should be a fine DPR who could develop into more of an early down player, but I do not see what he does better than Williams or Houston in a similar role. Lawrence does not really add anything to the existing Cowboy’s EDGE rotation while costing premier draft capital.

24. Cleveland Browns - K.C Concepcion - WR - Texas A&M - A

With a major need to revamp the offense, KC Conecpcion brings a high-end man-seperator and field-stretcher to an offense that needs to continue adding weapons. My WR2 in the draft class, Concepcion is an extremely talented player who is immediately one of Cleveland’s top pass-catching options. Even though he is on the smaller size, Concepcion is someone I think is best used outside due to his ability to get off the LOS and stack DBs vertically. Concepcion needs to improve his drop consistency, but Sanders will be the most accurate QB he has ever played with and could help limit his drops by throwing more catchable passes. Beyond his contributions on offense, Concepcion is a dynamic punt returner and will bring a spark to Cleveland’s mediocre return game if asked to play on special teams by the coaching staff

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Concepcion

25. Chicago Bears - Dillon Thieneman - S - Oregon - A

After losing Kevin Byard in FA, the Chicago Bears filled a need at S with a high-end talent in Dillon Thieneman. While he has shown the ability to play near the LOS and the box, Thieneman’s best tape is when he is working in space as a split safety. A high-end range athlete with great instincts and feel for the game, Thieneman is one of the few players who may be able to replace Byard’s ball and turnover production as a rookie. Even though there were solid prospects at other positions of need, the Bears take the BPA at 25 and run away like bandits with a player I believe can be a perennial pro bowl+ starter. Another Poles offseason win.

26. Houston Texans - Keylan Rutledge - OG/OC - Georgia Tech - B

A surprising riser in the first rounder, Keylan Rutledge had smoke to potentially go in the late first a few weeks before the draft. While many are confused about a supposed depth OG in the first round with the Texans paying Wyatt Teller and Ed Ingram in the offseason, I believe the move was to get an upgrade at OC. Rutledge has not played OC in college, but he does know how to snap and has done OC drills during the pre-draft process. The pick is pretty ballsy given the minimal sample size of in-game reps, but we have seen players like Cooper Bebe make the move over to OC despite never playing the position beforehand. As someone who had Rutledge as his OG2 and an early day two pick, I honestly am a fan of the selection as long as Rutledge is able to be ready enough week 1 to play OC.

27. Miami Dolphins - Chris Johnson - CB - SDSU - D

While I am on board with addressing DB with a first-round pick for Miami, I am confused why the CB2 in this draft class is Chris Johnson. Another summer scouting crush I had, Johnson has prototype size, speed, and physicality that made me high on him as a potential day two talent who could develop into a competent starter while being a day one high-end special teams player. My main issue with Johnson is that he still needs to improve his coverage technique and overall feel while having poor fluidity and recovery tools. I understand taking Johnson over smaller DBs due to size thresholds and McCoy due to injuries, but I wonder why he was selected over other DBs with similar size and movement tools (Ex. Cisse, Moore, Hood, etc). I do believe Johnson can be a good NFL player, but first-round draft capital makes me worried that he will be put on an NFL defense before he is ready.

28. New England Patriots - Caleb Lomu - OT - Utah - B

While he is overshadowed by his teammate, Caleb Lomu is a really solid OT prospect who has the length and movement to develop into a competent starter. Though I am not a fan of taking depth OL in the first round due to the year one value, New England having an aging starter in Morgan and an injury-prone starter in Vera-Tucker makes me understand the need to spend first-round capital on the future at OT. I do not think that Lomu has incredible upside due to having good-not-great movement and mediocre motor, but New England letting him sit and develop makes me optimistic about Lomu’s long-term future. While I do think he is an OT in the NFL, Lomu could be the primary back up at OG if Vera-Tucker misses time (though I would prefer kicking Campbell inside in these situations).

29. Kansas City Chiefs - Peter Woods - DT - Clemson - A

After failing to replace Tershawn Wharton with multiple cheap FAs and second round pick Omar Norman-Lott, the Chiefs get one of my highest graded DL prospects in Peter Woods. A pure attacking-front DT, Woods is a great scheme fit with the Chiefs’ scheme and brings legit pass rush juice with his fluidity, speed, and explosiveness. A good contain and stunt player, Woods can help immediately as a solid IDL roleplayer as he develops more technical winning ability to potentially develop into the Chief’s primary pass rush option. If he is able to get stronger and become more of a one-on-one technical winner, then Woods could be one of the biggest steals in the draft and be the heir to an aging Chris Jones.

Click on this to check out my detailed scouting report on Woods

30. New York Jets - Omar Cooper Jr - WR - Indiana - B

A physical and trunky WR, Omar Cooper Jr brings a tone-setting WR who fits pretty seamlessly next to Wilson and Mitchell. One of the best RAC players and skill position blockers in the class, Cooper is a prototypical block-and-RAC role player who will dominate in condensed formation and make plays in open space on designed targets/dump downs. Cooper lacks the upside to be a WR1 due to having average athletic tools and issues beating press, but he is a safe bet to be a good contributor in the NFL. My only concern with the pick is that Sadiq and Cooper’s roles in 11 personnel overlap heavily since Sadiq is unlikely to be a good enough in-line blocker, which makes me question the value of taking both players in the first round.

31. Tennessee Titans - Keldrick Faulk - EDGE - Auburn - A

A player I was lower on than consensus, Faulk was my EDGE3, and I was critical when I saw mocks taking him in the T15. Considering the DL prospects who were taken above him, Faulk at this point in the draft feels like the Louvre Heist. A seamless talent and scheme fit, Faulk fits the versatile heavy-end role that Saleh loves in his defense, as a player who can be a great early down run defender and crasher on stunts. I do question Faulk’s ability to develop into a competent one-on-one winner off the EDGE due to having fairly average athletic tools, but I think he can develop into a high-end role player who could be a match-up hunter when bumped inside. As long as he can work on his technique, pushing pockets, and getting lockout, Faulk can be a very valuable NFL player and be highly impactful for the Titans.

32. Seattle Seahawks - Jadarian Price - RB - Notre Dame - C

With Charbonet coming off an ACL tear and Walker leaving in FA, Jadarian Price is a solid talent to add, but I question the process. Price is my clear RB2, but I believe there are players in the FA market that would have only cost slightly more APY while not having to be acquired with first-round capital. People will critique Price’s lack of production, but his physicality, jump cut range, and vision will make him a good NFL ball carrier. There are questions about his pass-catching and blocking ability, but his consistent ball tracking and limited sample size do show competency. Even if he struggles to find work in true passing situations, Price can play a similar role to Walker as the team’s main RB with Charbonet being used in power running, pass blocking, and pass catching situations.

Conclusion

Given how low I am on the class, I was not shocked to see some questionable picks be taken for need. Overall, I am pretty happy for a lot of the picks in the first round and felt majority of team ended up with at least solid contributors. Here is a list of all the prospects I felt should have gotten a shot in the frist round and now fall to day two/three:

• Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

• Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia

• Zion Yong, EDGE, Missouri

• Kayden McDoanld, DT, Ohio State

• Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

• Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

• Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

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