The NFL Draft is about the players who get drafted, first and foremost. But it has major impacts on the players, coaches and GMs already in place, too. Are their replacements — whether eventual or immediate — on the way?
The best recent example might be Kirk Cousins. Weeks after signing a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons, Cousins saw Atlanta draft Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall with nary even a heads-up that the shocking move was in the works. It proved to be a harbinger of a tough tenure in Atlanta.
That one was pretty straightforward. Others aren’t. The Patriots traded up to select Caleb Lomu late in the first round. Given that Lomu’s presence once pushed Spencer Fano — the top lineman taken in this draft — to right tackle at Utah and given Will Campbell’s struggles protecting Drake Maye in the playoffs last year, one could say Campbell is in trouble. But that’s not the case. The Patriots have unequivocally backed Campbell as their left tackle this offseason, and Lomu said Campbell was one of the first players to text him congratulations.
There are also the happy players, coaches and GMs. Let’s get to both:
2026 NFL Draft essentials
Happiest NFL players, coaches and GMs
1. Las Vegas Raiders
I’ve always disliked the idea that this draft begins with the second pick, or even that the intrigue of the draft begins with the second pick. No. Mendoza is a Heisman Trophy winner and a national champion. He has a laser arm, major competitiveness and good athleticism. He was on an upward trajectory his entire collegiate career. I think he could eventually be a top-10 quarterback. The Raiders needed a quarterback, and they had the good fortune of one very much worthy of the pick being available.
The Raiders desperately needs to get this right, and they’ve spent all offseason building the right environment to make it happen. They brought in Klint Kubiak, who runs a balanced, under-center offense that has brought out the best in many quarterbacks. They brought in Tyler Linderbaum to be the veteran center every young quarterback benefits from and Cousins to be the veteran mentor/(eventual) backup every young quarterback benefits from.
The Raiders tried a misguided, rushed rebuild last year with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith. One would hope owner Mark Davis, GM Jon Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady learned their lesson. The Raiders have lots of work to do on both sides. That’s perfectly OK. They have a quarterback for the long haul.
2. Eagles GM Howie Roseman
After the Eagles landed wide receiver Makai Lemon at No. 20 overall, there was one general sentiment: Howie Roseman has done it again. Roseman’s patented aggressiveness — he traded up from No. 23 to No. 20, even though the deal involved the arch-rival Cowboys — was on display, and the result was him landing a wide receiver whose floor was thought to be several picks earlier.
Lemon isn’t for everyone given his smaller frame and his slot proclivity, but he is tough, quick, precise in his route running and dogged with the ball in his hands. He caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 12 games last year. Those numbers don’t happen by accident. As the Eagles transition to a new offense under Sean Mannion, having Lemon as a smart, reliable target will be a big boost for Jalen Hurts.
Considering A.J. Brown is all but officially out the door, the Eagles needed to find someone who can handle significant volume right away. Lemon should fit the bill, and Roseman, who makes no bones getting the guys he wants, found with another gem.
3. Cowboys DC Christian Parker
All eyes will be on Christian Parker, brought in from the Eagles, this season. His task? Fixing the defense of “America’s Team,” a team that very much has a win-now offense, win-now expectations from Jerry Jones and the longest championship game drought in the NFC.
So what did the Cowboys do? They got studs. Caleb Downs has been among college football’s best players since he arrived at Alabama as a freshman, and he helped run an NFL-like defense under Matt Patricia at Ohio State the last two years. He is versatile and extremely smart, and he’ll patch up a leaky Cowboys secondary. Parker had great success with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell in Philadelphia; Downs should be next. Then add in Malachi Lawrence, an athletic, tireless pass rusher with burst and moves. Will McClay has long done strong work leading Dallas’ drafts. Parker will appreciate his investments here.
4. Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward
The Titans could have taken one of the many talented defensive playmakers. They could have traded down after Jeremiyah Love went No. 3 overall. Instead, they stayed at No. 4 and pulled the first shocker in wide receiver Carnell Tate. The Ohio State product adds deep-ball abilities and much-needed reliability and professionalism immediately. Cam Ward will love having him as a No. 1 wideout. He’s not spectacular in any one facet, but he is very good in many.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles
Todd Bowles loves pressure. Lives for it. Since he took charge in Tampa Bay in 2022, only two teams have blitzed at a higher rate than the Buccaneers.
Long story short, Bowles must have been ecstatic when Rueben Bain Jr. — who led all of FBS with 83 pressures last year — was still available at No. 15. Bain plays with violence and tenacity, and it’s not just in the pass game. He is an absolute thumper against the run.
Last year, the Buccaneers ranked 23rd in pressure rate when not blitzing. Enter Bain, who should immediately help that. Yes, I get the arms are short. The tape tells the story of a dominant, relentless force. Calijah Kancey (7.5 sacks in just 12 games in 2024) is back after just three games last year, YaYa Diaby has shown promise. Vita Vea is still eating double teams for lunch. Bowles will be smiling ear-to-ear when he goes to bed and dreaming up blitzes in his sleep.
2026 NFL Draft team grades: Report cards for all 32 teams after Round 1
Carter Bahns
Unhappiest NFL players, coaches and GMs
1. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford
As soon as Roger Goodell announced Ty Simpson to the Rams, broadcasts were scrambling to have their insiders explain Sean McVay had called Matthew Stafford earlier in the day to let him know they’d be taking his successor but reiterate they weren’t pushing him out.
That doesn’t mean Stafford has to agree with the decision, much less like it.
This appeared to be an all-in offseason for the Rams. They traded for Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson, turning cornerback from a pronounced weakness into a strength. I went as far as to say they are the clear Super Bowl favorite, and I cited the No. 13 pick — which they fleeced from the Falcons last year — as another chance to solidify that.
Instead, they focused on the future. Simpson will learn for at least a year, and maybe more, behind Stafford, and he will very much need that given his lack of collegiate experience. It could be prove a great move long-term. But Lemon was on the board and would have been an immediate slot upgrade. Kenyon Sadiq could have added speed and YAC ability at tight end. They could have added in the trenches.
At least a small part of Stafford must have wanted a player who will help in 2026.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan and QB Aaron Rodgers
Consider the Steelers‘ party crashed. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers, picking No. 21, were attempting to call Lemon when the Cowboys were on the clock at No. 20. The only problem? The Cowboys had sent No. 20 to the Eagles, who were on the phone with Lemon, telling him he was headed to Philadelphia. Oops.
So the Steelers, at No. 21, drafted left tackle Max Iheanachor. In a vacuum, that is a perfectly fine pick. Iheanachor, who only started playing football in 2021, is a hulking bookend with immense physical talents and major upside. But, as would be expected by a player so new to the game, he might need some time. Current left tackle Broderick Jones is dealing with a neck injury. Khan was already in a tough spot because he doesn’t know what Aaron Rodgers is doing, and Rodgers probably isn’t loving the idea that the Steelers took a bit of a project to protect his blindside. I’ve been critical of the Steelers and their being held captive by Rodgers, and tonight didn’t make it better.
3. Giants EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux
The Giants were a popular projected landing spot for a wide receiver (Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson) and a defender (Caleb Downs) in mock drafts. Then Arvell Reese “fell” to No. 5, and the Giants scooped him up, adding an absolutely ridiculous athlete to their pass rushing/linebacking group. Reese was viewed as a top-two or top-three player in this class.
Brian Burns had 16.5 sacks last year. After a bit of a slow start, rookie Abdul Carter had 3.5 sacks in his final five games. Much of his surge came after Kayvon Thibodeaux’s season-ending shoulder surgery. A 2022 first-round pick, Thibodeaux was in trade rumors this offseason. After 11 sacks in 2023, he has just eight over the last two seasons combined. Now, he could be fourth in the Giants’ EDGE rotation. That’s not appealing, especially going into a contract year.
4. Seahawks GM John Schneider
John Schneider can’t be too unhappy. He’s two and a half months removed from winning the Lombardi Trophy. But the NFL moves fast, and Schneider knows it. He was open about wanting to trade down and add to the Seahawks‘ four picks. Instead, six of the seven picks ahead of them exchanged hands Thursday night, but the Seahawks found no trade partners.
With Kenneth Walker III departing in free agency and Zach Charbonnet coming off a torn ACL, the Seahawks needed a running back. But this is regarded as a below-average running back class after Jeremiyah Love, so Seattle having to use their first-round pick on Jadarian Price — the consensus RB2, but one who might have been available well into the second round — is a tough break.
5. Carolina Panthers OT Ikem Ekwonu
It’s hard not to feel for Ikem Ekwonu, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in the Panthers‘ wild card loss to the Rams. That is a brutal injury, one puts his 2026 season — the fifth-year option year of his rookie deal — in doubt. The Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to step into Ekwonu’s left tackle spot and then drafted Monroe Freeling 19th overall. Freeling played left tackle at Georgia but could also be the eventual Taylor Moton successor at right tackle. Either way, Ekwonu’s prospects for 2026 and maybe beyond in Carolina took a hit.
