2026 Draft Week Chatter Thread...

[Genghis Khan]

Live look at Pavia arriving at the Jets facility.

 

[ravidubey]

People were upset we didn't draft a QB to replace Danny White and that we "only" got Jim Jeffcoat and his 102.5 career sacks.

What an insane draft. Where we really fucked up was finding the busts in the later rounds when guys like Bill Pickel and Charles Mann could be found well into the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

It was so deep it fed the USFL with talented guys like Kelvin Bryant who Washington took a flier on late in that draft. Denver got Karl Mecklenburg in the 12th round. Anthony Carter also went in the 12th.

 

[Smitty]

Quarterback landing spots, 2026 NFL draft class rankings & Diego Pavia UDFA watch

The Raiders lead my too early (and too quick) ranking of draft classes, plus Diego Pavia among undrafted prospects to watch

www.nytimes.com

Quarterback landing spots, 2026 NFL draft class rankings & Diego Pavia UDFA watch​

HENDERSON, NEVADA - APRIL 24: Quarterback Fernando Mendoza (C), selected yesterday by the Las Vegas Raiders as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, speaks as Raiders general manager John Spytek (L) and head coach Klint Kubiak (R) look on. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Ethan Miller

By Jacob Robinson
April 26, 2026Updated 3:23 pm EDT

It’s over. Already.

After three days, a record-setting 805,000 fans in attendance and 257 picks, the 2026 NFL Draft class is settled.

A few teams did better than others. Everyone did better than the Jaguars.

As we wait for Dane Brugler’s 32-team ranking, below is how I stack the hauls. This is based on player quality (and quantity), positional values and needs met. For example, the Cowboys got better top-end talent and value from their picks, but I slightly prefer the Dolphins’ 13-player class.

Yes, it’s too early for this. Yes, I did it anyways.

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Ranking draft classes​

We have to start with the Raiders, of course. In hindsight, a draft class’ best quarterback will almost always be its most valuable player, and Fernando Mendoza has the best shot of becoming that guy.

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In my book, that alone is reason enough for the Raiders to lead any post-draft ranking. But they also picked up plenty of value afterward, including top-20 prospect Jermod McCoy, a strong press cornerback whom they drafted in the fourth round. If healthy, he counts as the biggest value of the entire draft, and this video explains the injury that led to his fall.



Back to quarterbacks for a minute: The first one drafted in each class has a better pro career than his QB classmates 40 percent of the time, historically. That drops to 13 percent for the second and third quarterbacks drafted, in this case the Rams’ Ty Simpson and Cardinals’ Carson Beck. Here’s where passers landed:

Then there’s the Eagles. Their No. 7 ranking on my list doesn’t take into account their savvy trade for Jonathan Greenard, the former Vikings edge rusher who had 24.5 sacks from 2023 to 2024 before an injury-plagued 2025. He’s just 29. Even the 6-foot-3 Cole Payton is a promising backup quarterback. What a haul. We all wish our GM was Howie Roseman. Again.

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It’s not all bad for the 49ers, No. 31 in my rankings. Drafting receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd pick felt like a reach. He was the 77th player in composite rankings and 67th in “The Beast,” after all.

But closer inspection reveals a sensible choice. On the livestream of “The Athletic Football Show,” Dane explained Stribling had been quietly jumping up draft boards. Teams loved his 4.36 speed at 207 pounds, plus his dependable hands and run blocking. And as our film guru Ted Nguyen explains, Stribling’s a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense as “a supercharged version of Jauan Jennings.”

We’ll have so much more over the rest of the week. For today, let’s look at the top UDFAs. You’ll recognize the most notable. (But first, a Jeff T. update.)

​

 

[bbgun]

People were upset we didn't draft a QB to replace Danny White and that we "only" got Jim Jeffcoat and his 102.5 career sacks.

It's pretty common knowledge that Tex Schramm had a deal worked out with Baltimore's owner for the right to draft Elway, but their GM (Accorsi) scuttled it when he learned of it.

 

[boozeman]

It makes you wonder the money the league spends on the HBCU Combine and how it has zero effect. This is not the late 1960s - early 1970s when teams like the Steelers and Cowboys could look at those kids without interference. By the late 1980s that talent pipeline was dry.

It must be a nice write off. Look at us, we are giving back.

 

[boozeman]

I guess the other report with the Jets was tied to a prank call he got late.

 

[boozeman]

 

[Genghis Khan]

It makes you wonder the money the league spends on the HBCU Combine and how it has zero effect. This is not the late 1960s - early 1970s when teams like the Steelers and Cowboys could look at those kids without interference. By the late 1980s that talent pipeline was dry.

It must be a nice write off. Look at us, we are giving back.

Most of the talent is in the P4, that's just reality. The pandering is just silly.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I'm guessing this is sarcastic.

 

[boozeman]

I'm guessing this is sarcastic.

Sadly it probably isn’t.

 

[boozeman]

So LaPoint is the college scouting czar now. I just figured that Judd Garrett was still in the basement with his Slimline all-in-one Red Stapler.

 

[boozeman]

 

[boozeman]

 

[Simpleton]

So LaPoint is the college scouting czar now. I just figured that Judd Garrett was still in the basement with his Slimline all-in-one Red Stapler.

Yea LaPoint is the director of college scouting I believe.

I met him when I went to the Senior Bowl about 10 years ago, great guy that wasn't as high up then as he is now, but he's pretty level-headed. There's always an inbred element with this team with guys who never leave and spend their whole careers in Dallas, but some of them end up being solid.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Yea LaPoint is the director of college scouting I believe.

I met him when I went to the Senior Bowl about 10 years ago, great guy that wasn't as high up then as he is now, but he's pretty level-headed. There's always an inbred element with this team with guys who never leave and spend their whole careers in Dallas, but some of them end up being solid.

But was he ever a waiter?

 

[Simpleton]

But was he ever a waiter?

I think Stephen saves his buttboi concubines for his salary cap team, given that's all he actually knows.

 

[Cotton]

 

[boozeman]

But was he ever a waiter?

No that is on the cap end of the business.

 

[Simpleton]

This grumpy scout description of Overton is exactly how I see him. I think being around vets like Clark, Williams and even Bullard should get the best out of him:

14. LT OVERTON, Alabama (6-3, 287, 4.92, 3): Extremely versatile player. “It’s split,” one scout said. “Some people see him as a defensive tackle, that penetrator. Other see him as a power edge. He easily could be a power edge on base downs and you kick him down inside to rush on sub downs. Third round.” Started four of 23 games at Texas A&M in 2022-’23 before transferring to Alabama and starting 16 of 26 games the past two years. Finished with 132 tackles (12 for loss), seven sacks, one forced fumble and two batted passes. “I watched him in 2024,” said a second scout. “This kid just kept flashing. I could have seen taking him top 10 of the draft last year. He’s got some rare ability, but you watch him and he’s playing a backup center and he’s not winning. He can be whatever he wants to be. He has rare movement skills but he takes a lot of plays off. Doesn’t always strain through blocks. He can play 3-technique. He played nose tackle with very good effectiveness. He played on the outside collapsing the pocket. He’s the most versatile defensive lineman. There’s real value in him. You get in a situation where you don’t let the offense dictate to you like you have to bring in all your subpackage players because they’re spreading you out. This kid can play defensive tackle and defensive end. I think more teams would ask him to bulk up and play inside. Maybe be that undersized, quick 3-technique that Seattle and the Rams use.” Overton’s last weigh-in for scouts was March 26 at pro day when he was up to 287, 13 more than he was at the combine and nine more than at the Senior Bowl. Arms were 33 ¼, hands were an edge-best 10 5/8. His vertical jump was an edge-worst 26. Given name is Lebbeus. Five-star recruit from Milton, Ga.

 

[Cotton]