NFL draft 2026 winners and losers: Eagles’ aces, Rams’ damage control and a missing coach

It can take years to properly evaluate if a prospect works out. But here are a few early takes on the ups and downs from this year’s selection process

>Grading a draft immediately after it happens is an interesting concept – a bit like giving out marks for a meal in a restaurant right after you order. But the NFL Draft Industrial Complex will not rest until verdicts are handed out, so here we are.

>So, with the standard disclaimer that we won’t know for years just how these moves turn out – who had the last pick of the 2022 draft leading his team to a Super Bowl appearance? – here’s a rundown of what caught our eye over the last few days.

>We are not used to praising the Browns this time of year – there are reasons that this was the franchise immortalized in the legendarily awful Draft Day movie. But it’s tough to argue with the draft class Cleveland put together. The Browns traded down from the sixth to the ninth overall pick, and selected Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano. Fano is one of the cleanest blockers in this class, and he’ll help a Browns line that had the mammoth but raw Dawand Jones last season. General manager Andrew Berry said that the plan is to park Fano at left tackle and leave him there.

>Then, with the 24th and 39th overall picks, the Browns took two receivers to add to a very thin group. First up was KC Concepcion, dismissed by some as a gimmick receiver, but the tape shows a fully formed weapon if he can solve his drop problem (he had seven in 2025). At pick 39, 6ft 4in Denzel Boston is a big, fast, contested-catch wizard who brings skill sets the Browns’ receiver group lacked in 2025.

>But the steal of the Browns’ draft may well be Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who they took at No 58. The 6ft 4in, 201lbs McNeil-Warren may have the most pure athletic upside of the do-it-all defensive backs in this draft class, and the two other such players – Caleb Downs (Dallas Cowboys, 11th overall pick) and Dillon Thieneman (Chicago Bears, 25th overall pick) went much higher than McNeil-Warren.

>Add in athletic quarterback Taylen Green, and the Browns had a fascinating draft – in a good way. We still don’t know who Cleveland’s quarterback will be in 2026, but that’s just the way the Browns seem to roll.

>If McCoy’s draft position was solely based on his 2024 season with the Tennessee Volunteers, when he allowed just 31 catches on 62 targets for 386 yards and an opponent passer rating of 53.6, he would have gone in the first half of the first round. Unfortunately, McCoy missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn ACL, but when he performed well at Tennessee’s pro day in March, most analysts believed that he had shown enough of a recovery that teams would still be keen on him.

>Before the draft, however, multiple reports said that McCoy may need surgery to repair a bone plug, a procedure that would most likely see him miss the entire 2026 season. In the end, the Raiders selected McCoy with the first pick of the fourth round, presumably thinking that using a lower-round pick was worth the risk.

>“All my doctors that did my surgery, they told me I’m good,” McCoy said in his post-draft press conference. ”I feel like I’m good, but if there’s something that they’re wanting me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that. I’m going to listen to the team, because I feel like they have my best interest. So, honestly, whatever the team’s plan for me is, I’m going to do that.”

>We don’t yet know how things will go for McCoy, but right now, every possible outcome is in play – from multiple All-Pro nods, to a future in which the NFL is denied to him through no fault of his own.

>Speaking of cornerbacks who were selected later than they expected, it was a bit of a surprise when Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, who looked like a future first-rounder in college, lasted until the 48th overall pick when he was grabbed by the Falcons. The good news? Avieon will be teammates with his older brother AJ, who the Falcons picked in the first-round of the 2020 draft.

>AJ and Avieon will become the third known set of brothers in NFL history to play in the same secondary, following in the footsteps of Jason and Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots from 2018 to 2020, and Lyle and Glenn Blackwood of the Miami Dolphins from 1981 to 1986.

>“Just getting that call, it was a blessing,” he said after the pick was made. “My heart dropped. AJ played it cool. I didn’t even know it was going to happen, but once I’d seen that call, it felt good and I already knew what time it was.”

>Well, this one got interesting in a hurry. With the 13th pick, the Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, a one-year starter whose performance waned as the 2025 season went along. Even with the reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford already under center, the move raises questions because of the significant draft capital spent on a prospect with major questions surrounding his potential in the pros. Instead of addressing quarterback, where they already have Stafford, Los Angeles could have used the 13th pick to fortify a roster that is already in the Super Bowl conversation – especially after acquiring the Kansas City Chiefs’ top two cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, through trade and free agency.

>At the press conference after the pick, Rams general manager Les Snead talked far more than head coach Sean McVay did, and for the most part, McVay looked despondent. This led to some damage control. On Friday, McVay said that his demeanor was the result of his relationship with Stafford – he didn’t want to appear too happy about the Simpson pick, because he wanted to show respect to the veteran. Whether that’s true or not, using a first-rounder on a quarterback who appears to lack the talent to ever reach Stafford’s level raises all sorts of questions.

>Roseman is a familiar figure in the winners category of the draft. One of the NFL’s most astute executives was at it again this year, and he once again helped his team immeasurably. Before we even get to the actual draft, we should mention the trade with the Minnesota Vikings for edge-rusher Jonathan Greenard, who fills a right-now need, and signed a four-year, $100m deal with his new team.

>In the first round, the Eagles traded up with the arch-rivals Dallas Cowboys to select USC receiver Makai Lemon, who has what it takes to be the team’s new No 1 receiver with AJ Brown likely to be traded. In the second round, Philly selected Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, who could eventually replace Dallas Goedert. In the third round, Roseman selected Markel Bell, a massive (6ft 9in, 346lbs) blocker who has some of the same traits as starting Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata.

>In the fifth round, the Eagles took North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton, another one-year starter, but in this case, one with a combination of passing and rushing ability that makes him the perfect backup for Jalen Hurts. Sixth-round pick Micah Morris, a guard from Georgia, and seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski, a safety from Texas Tech, could contribute sooner than later.

>As usual, Roseman went after the guys he knew would help, he did it without overspending on cap space or draft capital, and his team will be better for it. Some guys just know how to do this job.

>The alleged extramarital affair between Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini, has caused its own set of complications. Russini has resigned from The Athletic, and Vrabel announced that he would miss the third day of the draft to engage in counseling.

>We are not here to impugn Vrabel’s focus on his family, but a head coach is fairly important in a team’s draft process, and one wonders if this could not have waited an extra day.

>New England’s general manager, Eliot Wolf, was asked over the weekend what the Patriots would be missing in Vrabel’s absence.

>“The stability of him as a person, some of the leadership, some of the presence,” Wolf said. “He does a nice job for us with the undrafted players. Obviously, he’s a tremendous recruiter, so that’s maybe something that we’ll be missing. But again, we’re very confident in the people we have with the process. The assistant coaches have done a tremendous job, as have the scouts, preparing for day three. And we’re excited about it.”

>If you’re missing anything in a draft due to your head coach’s indiscretions, that’s not a great look.