Makai Lemon

With the 2026 NFL Draft officially in the books, the countdown is now on for NFL training camp. In the meantime, we can reflect on the 2026 NFL Draft and see which teams reached way too far for certain players, and which ones should go down as big-time steals. Here are the six absolute worst value picks from the 2026 NFL draft, and the six greatest. Who were the best and worst selections in the 2026 NFL Draft? Worst Value Pick: Caleb BanksFeb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks (DL02) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Most expected Banks’ draft stock to fall after suffering a broken bone in his left foot at the NFL Combine. But the Minnesota Vikings weren’t deterred in the slightest, using the No. 18 pick on the Florida defensive tackle. The Vikings needed help at DT after releasing veteran stalwarts Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in cap-sacing moves. Still, this is a classic case of “they could have traded down and gotten their man” later. Look at the next 10 picks after Banks. Who realistically would have targeted Banks there? Minnesota could have accumulated extra draft picks to move down a few spots and still snag Banks later. Or, they could have even taken a more polished defensive tackle prospect like Clemson’s Peter Woods. Then again, it’s the Vikings. They don’t have the best track record of getting quality talent with their first-round picks these days. Greatest Value Pick: Caleb DownsCaleb Downs (Image Credits: Imagn) Unlike the other defensive prospect named Caleb, who was drafted in round one, Mr. Downs was anything but a bad value pick. If anything, he was the best value pick of day one. Like Baltimore Ravens star Kyle Hamilton back at the 2022 NFL Draft, Downs was a consensus top-five prospect in his class. It’s just that teams rarely value the safety position enough to draft one so early. Not that Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are complaining, though. They traded up one spot via the Miami Dolphins to select Caleb Downs with the No. 11 pick. For all the heat Jerry Jones gets as the Cowboys’ GM, most of it justified, how about getting a top-five prospect outside the top-10? Dallas’ main weakness coming into the draft was the secondary. They add a Swiss Army Knife who can single-handedly transform a defense the way Kyle Hamilton has in Baltimore. So in the post-Micah Parsons era, Dallas has now added Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, Caleb Downs, and Malachi Lawrence on defense. Not bad, Jerry. Worst Value Pick: Ty SimpsonTy Simpson (Image Credits: Imagn) Look, we don’t hate the idea of the Los Angeles Rams finding Matthew Stafford’s successor in the early rounds of the draft. They addressed their last main weakness at the corner by trading for ex-Kansas City Chiefs star Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson. But taking Simpson at No. 13 overall? What universe are the Rams living in here? Los Angeles could have easily traded down and nabbed Simpson later. Unless the New York Jets wanted him at No. 16, they could have moved down at least five more spots to eventually select him. Or, better yet, the Rams could have drafted a better prospect at No. 13 and waited until day two to get a QB. There’s a good probability that Matthew Stafford plays at least two more years, perhaps even more. Maybe Simpson will prove to be the ideal succession plan to Stafford, but this was too early to take a QB with a limited ceiling. No wonder Sean McVay seemed so angry when the Rams picked Simpson… Greatest Value Pick: Makai LemonMakai Lemon (Image Credit: Imagn) As most expected, Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson were the first two receivers taken off the board. Still, Lemon was widely projected to be a top-15 pick. And yet… You all know how this turned out. Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan got on the phone with Lemon, believing they were about to snag the USC wide receiver with the No. 21 pick. But in a big-time stunner, the Philadelphia Eagles moved up into the No. 20 spot via the Dallas Cowboys to take Lemon in the 2026 NFL Draft. As they say, when life gives you lemons… So, assuming AJ Brown is really done in Philadelphia? The Eagles just got their succession plan with a late first-round pick. Once again, Howie Roseman got excellent value on day one of the draft. When, oh when, will other teams learn their lesson? Worst Value Pick: Max IheanachorMax Iheanachor (Image Credits: Imagn) As if it weren’t maddening enough for the Steelers to watch their inner-state rivals jump ahead to take Makai Lemon? They added more insult to injury by reaching big-time for the Arizona State offensive tackle. For starters, we’re not sure why the Steelers went with an offensive tackle here. They used their 2023 and 2024 first-round picks on Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. Jones has yet to put it all together, but it’s not like Pittsburgh is gonna bench him and play Iheanachor right away. Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, who went to the New England Patriots at 28, would have been a much better value pick. But, there were better prospects on the board that could have filled other weaknesses in Pittsburgh, such as safety Dillon Thieneman, defensive end Keldrick Faulk, or a wide receiver like Omar Cooper Jr. or KC Concepcion. Greatest Value Pick: Francis MauigoaFrancis Mauigoa (Image Credits: Imagn) Many thought Mauigoa would go as high as No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2026 NFL Draft. What about the Cleveland Browns at No. 6 before trading down with the Kansas City Chiefs? Or even the Washington Commanders at No. 7? Fortunately for John Harbaugh’s New York Giants, the teams in front of them didn’t value Mauigoa that high. After taking Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 5 pick, the Giants put the cherry on top of their day-one draft performance by snagging the Miami offensive lineman. Mauigoa, surprisingly, was the second offensive lineman taken, one spot after the Browns selected Utah tackle Spencer Fano. Like we said, excellent value for the Giants. Mauigoa can play tackle or guard. Either way, Giants fans should be thrilled about the prospect of him joining forces with Andrew Thomas, who has asserted himself as one of the league’s premier pass-blockers. Throw in Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo, and it’s awfully hard not to get excited about the Giants’ long-term outlook on offense. Worst Value Pick: Jadarian PriceJadarian Price (Image Credits: Imagn) We hate critiquing the defending Super Bowl champions, especially given John Schneider’s excellent drafting track record. But…was this really the best they could do in the No. 32 spot in the NFL Draft? Price was Jeremiyah Love’s understudy at Notre Dame. Despite playing second-fiddle to the Heisman Trophy finalist, Price finished with 674 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, averaging six yards a carry. We have no doubt that Price can succeed in Seattle’s rush-heavy offense. And yes, running back was important to address after letting Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III leave in free agency. But who would have realistically taken Price in round two? MAYBE the Carolina Panthers at 49? Or the Minnesota Vikings at 51? Seattle used its day-one pick on a backup college running back…when they already have a capable RB1 in Zach Charbonnet. Schneider could have probably traded down AT LEAST 10 spots — maybe even more — to snag Price.  Even if he becomes a multi-time 1,000-yard rusher, it doesn’t mean Seattle needed to take him this early. Greatest Value Pick: Cashius HowellNov 15, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) reacts after a defensive play during the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year was supposed to be a mid-to-late first-round pick…or at the very worst, a very-early day-two pick. Not much has gone right for the Cincinnati Bengals in their sad history. But man, they may soon owe 31 other teams a nice gift basket for letting Howell inexplicably slip to them in round two at No. 41 overall. The Bengals caught a lot of heat for letting Trey Hendrickson walk to free agency. Now they have Howell, blockbuster trade acquisition Dexter Lawrence, and free agent signings Boye Mafe AND Jonathan Allen to lead the front seven. In other words, they’ll be just fine without Hendrickson. We’ll see how much the Bengals play Howell as a rookie, but don’t be surprised if he goes down as the best value day-two pick of the NFL draft.  Worst Value Pick: Keylan RutledgeJan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; National offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge (77) of Georgia Tech takes a breather during National Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images Nobody was surprised when the Houston Texans used their first-round pick on an offensive lineman. The position had to be addressed. But woof, did they ever misread the board here. Rutledge wasn’t supposed to be a first-round pick. Heck, some analysts and scouts had him going in the third round. Yet it didn’t stop the Texans from wanting the Georgia Tech guard so badly to the point where, gulp, they actually traded up two spots from the Buffalo Bills to take him at No. 26. Rutledge is a decent run-blocker, but his pass-blocking has a lot to be desired. And Houston needs better pass protection for CJ Stroud. Utah’s Caleb Lomu, who went two picks later to the rival New England Patriots, would have been the ideal selection here. Reaching big-time for a player is one thing. Actually, trading up to get him? Big yikes. Greatest Value Pick: C.J. AllenOct 7, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Ray Davis (1) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson (94) and linebacker C.J. Allen (33) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Some scouts thought Allen would go late in the first round. So yeah, it was a big win for the Indianapolis Colts when the Georgia linebacker fell into their laps in round two at No. 53 overall. The 2025 consensus All-American had 3.5 sacks, eight tackles for a loss, and four pass breakups in his final college season. Allen, like former Colts standout Shaq Leonard, is a do-it-all playmaker who brings freakish athleticism and speed. He joins a Colts front seven already featuring DeForest Buckner and Laiatu Latu. He’s the perfect fit for Indy’s defense, and could be one of the final pieces needed to help them break through in a crowded AFC South. Worst Value Pick: Malachi LawrenceFeb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCF defensive lineman Malachi Lawrence (DL48) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images As much as we love the work Jerry Jones has done when it comes to rebuilding his defense, we really don’t get this pick. You won’t find many NFL Draft analysts who had Lawrence going in the first round, let alone inside the top-25. After trading three spots down to help the rival Eagles take Makai Lemon, Dallas took UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 selection. Lawrence’s production was good-but-not-great at UCF. He had 20 sacks over his four college seasons, never topping 7.5 in a single campaign. With glaring holes in his run defense game, this just felt like a terrible value pick by Jones. This isn’t to say that Lawrence will be a bust. But Dallas could have gotten a more NFL-ready, higher-impact player here. Or, again, at least traded down, get more picks, and select him later. Time will tell how this pick pans out for the Cowboys. But at this time, it’s just hard to comprehend Jerry’s mentality here. Oh well, at least most of his offseason moves have been excellent. Greatest Value Pick: Jermod McCoyTennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) before a college football game between Tennessee and UAB at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 20, 2025. McCoy was a consensus top-20 prospect entering the 2026 NFL Draft. His 2024 game type at Tennessee was an absolute sight to behold. Of course, McCoy unfortunately had to miss the entire 2025 season recovering from a torn ACL. It’s understandable when injury concerns scare some teams off. But at worst, McCoy should have been a late first or EARLY second-round pick. But someone had to have the role of Shedeur Sanders this year. That role ultimately fell to McCoy. The 2024 second-team All-American fell outside of the top 100 before the Las Vegas Raiders finally snagged him at No. 101 overall. The Raiders actually traded up one spot to take McCoy there. Otherwise, who knows how much more he would have fallen? Anyway, the Raiders aren’t complaining. They won the draft when they selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. Then they get another first-round talent in round four, in all places. Hey, even dysfunctional teams like the Raiders have to get lucky eventually. The Raiders have had troubles finding quality cornerbacks since Nnamdi Asomugha infamously left for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011. Now, he joins a Maxx Crosby-led group that added Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, and Nakobe Dean in free agency. The Raiders aren’t close to contending for the playoffs. But if McCoy stays healthy and hits his ceiling, he could give Vegas that pure shutdown corner they need to combat Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix in the AFC West.