A Super Bowl Contender Shines in Our AFC Draft Class Ranking From 16 to 1

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The dust has settled, and in three or four years, we’ll be able to look back at the 2026 NFL draft and make our judgments.

After all, the mock drafts and potential fits are now names on cards, forever etched into history for better or worse. The Raiders will always be linked to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The same can be said for the Rams and Ty Simpson, who they surprisingly took at No. 13 out of Alabama.

But for now, we’re left to evaluate these draft classes based on what we know about the players without having the benefit of a single NFL snap, not just in a game, but in training camp, minicamps or in OTAs and rookie camp.

Still, there’s reason to believe we have enough insight into these players from their collegiate days to draw reasonable takeaways from the draft that was. And with that considered, let’s rank the AFC draft classes from worst to best, starting with a team coming off a surprising 13-win season and a divisional title.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars

Grade: D

• Round 2, No. 56: Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M
• Round 3, No. 81: Albert Regis, DT, Texas A&M
• Round 3, No. 88: Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon
• Round 3, No. 100: Jalen Huskey, S, Maryland
• Round 4, No. 119: Wesley Williams, edge, Duke
• Round 5, No. 164: Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston
• Round 6, No. 191: Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor
• Round 6, No. 203: CJ Williams, WR, Stanford
• Round 7, No. 233: Zach Durfee, edge, Washington
• Round 7, No. 240: Parker Hughes, LB, Middle Tennessee State

It’s one thing to get cute and go a bit off the board. It’s another to do what the Jaguars did.

Jacksonville didn’t have a first-round pick as a result of the Travis Hunter trade in 2025 and ended up taking a blocking tight end in Nate Boerkircher to kick off their selections. Boerkircher is a fine Y tight end, but he’s not likely to add much to a team that already has Hunter Long.

The Jaguars found Emmanuel Pregnon in the third round, and he should help soon, as Ezra Cleveland and Patrick Mekari could be gone after this season. However, the late rounds were also perplexing as the Jaguars drafted receiver CJ Williams and linebacker Parker Hughes in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively, both of whom were primarily viewed as undrafted free agent material.

15. Buffalo Bills

Grade: D+

• Round 2, No. 35: T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson
• Round 2, No. 62: Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
• Round 4, No. 102: Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College
• Round 4, No. 125: Skyler Bell, WR, Connecticut
• Round 5, No. 126: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU
• Round 5, No. 167: Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina
• Round 5, No. 181: Zane Durant, DT, Penn State
• Round 7, No. 220: Toriano Pride Jr., CB, Missouri
• Round 7, No. 239: Tommy Doman Jr., P, Florida
• Round 7, No. 241: Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, OG, Texas A&M

This ranking isn’t just about the players Buffalo selected. It’s about the strategy of general manager Brandon Beane and how the pieces fit.

The Bills traded out of the first round and then took Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker, a 263-pounder who is more of a 4-3 fit. In related news, Buffalo is transitioning to a 3-4 scheme. Later in the second round, the Bills nabbed corner Davison Igbinosun, who committed 30 penalties in college. As a boundary defender, he’ll be behind Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston on the depth chart.

Perhaps Buffalo’s most inspired pick was UConn receiver Skyler Bell, who had a 1,000-yard season in 2025. However, he plays in the slot, which is occupied by Khalil Shakir. The Bills have a litany of intriguing talents with odd fits.

14. Denver Broncos

Grade: C

• Round 3, No. 66: Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
• Round 4, No. 108: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
• Round 4, No. 111: Kage Casey, OT, Boise State
• Round 5, No. 152: Justin Joly, TE, North Carolina State
• Round 7, No. 246: Miles Scott, DB, Illinois
• Round 7, No. 256: Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah
• Round 7, No. 257: Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo

The Broncos didn’t pick until the third round, which really limited the upside of this class.

Looking at the group, it’s tough to see how many of these rookies can make an impact early on. Perhaps the best bet is running back Jonah Coleman, a fourth-round pick from Washington. Coleman will join a crowded backfield that includes RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins. However, Dobbins is injury-prone, and Harvey will need a breather, while Coleman provides good hands and a willingness to block a blitzing linebacker.

Overall, the Broncos found decent value at times on Day 3, but there’s not much more than depth here.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

Grade: C

• Round 1, No. 21: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
• Round 2, No. 47: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
• Round 3, No. 76: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
• Round 3, No. 85: Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
• Round 3, No. 96: Gennings Dunker, OG, Iowa
• Round 4, No. 121: Kaden Wetjen, WR/KR, Iowa
• Round 5, No. 169: Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana
• Round 7, No. 224: Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
• Round 7, No. 230: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy

The Steelers infamously wanted to take Makai Lemon in the first round, but the USC receiver was stolen away one pick earlier by the Eagles. As a result, Pittsburgh took its potential left tackle of the future, Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, before landing its wideout a round later in Germie Bernard.

However, this class became perplexing in the third round with the selection of quarterback Drew Allar, who will now battle with 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard for the backup role, assuming Aaron Rodgers returns for another season. Allar and Howard have virtually the same upside, which makes the pick both redundant and a waste, given Pittsburgh’s other needs, such as linebacker and corner.

It’s not a bad group if Iheanachor and Bernard work out. If not, the other picks feel like long shots, even factoring in their slots.

12. Los Angeles Chargers

Grade: C+

• Round 1, No. 22: Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami (FL)
• Round 2, No. 63: Jake Slaughter, IOL, Florida
• Round 4, No. 105: Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
• Round 4, No. 117: Travis Burke, OT, Memphis
• Round 4, No. 131: Genesis Smith, S, Arizona
• Round 5, No. 145: Nick Barrett, DT, South Carolina
• Round 6, No. 202: Logan Taylor, OG, Boston College
• Round 6, No. 206: Alex Harkey, OG, Oregon

Los Angeles has had a weird offseason, and the draft was no exception.

The Chargers had almost $100 million in cap space entering the offseason, and spent frugally. Then, in the draft, they didn’t take a natural guard until the sixth round, instead selecting a second-round center in Jake Slaughter, who will presumably move over and compete with Trevor Penning.

Los Angeles also didn’t draft a receiver until the fourth round when it selected Brenen Thompson out of Mississippi State. The depth chart is perilously thin behind Ladd McConkey, with Quentin Johnston and second-year man Tre Harris occupying the other starting spots.

Akheem Mesidor is a quality choice at No. 22 and should help the pass rush, but the Miami product is also 25 and is likely a finished product after six collegiate seasons.

11. Miami Dolphins

Grade: B-

• Round 1, No. 12: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
• Round 1, No. 27: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
• Round 2, No. 43: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
• Round 3, No. 75: Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech
• Round 3, No. 87: Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State
• Round 3, No. 94: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
• Round 4, No. 130: Trey Moore, edge, Texas
• Round 4, No. 138: Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
• Round 5, No. 158: Michael Taaffe, S, Texas
• Round 5, No. 177: Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri
• Round 5, No. 180: Seydou Traore, TE, Mississippi State
• Round 6, No. 200: DJ Campbell, OG, Texas
• Round 7, No. 238: Max Llewellyn, edge, Iowa

The Dolphins had a league-high 13 selections, and with their roster, they need all of them.

Miami isn’t higher on these rankings for a few reasons. First, the Dolphins selected Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor with the No. 12 pick, and one of his biggest problems has been staying in shape. Drafting a player who has a questionable work ethic to jumpstart your rebuild? Not ideal.

From there, Miami acquired some good talent, such as San Diego State corner Chris Johnson and Louisville receiver Chris Bell, but Bell might miss a chunk of 2026 recovering from a torn ACL. Elsewhere, fourth-round linebacker Kyle Louis is a nice value, but if Bell can’t do much as a rookie and Proctor doesn’t fully commit, we could look back at this class as a disappointment.

10. Houston Texans

Grade: B-

• Round 1, No. 26: Keylan Rutledge, OG, Georgia Tech
• Round 2, No. 36: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
• Round 2, No. 59: Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
• Round 4, No. 106: Febechi Nwaiwu, OT, Oklahoma
• Round 4, No. 123: Wade Woodaz, LB, Clemson
• Round 5, No. 141: Kamari Ramsey, S, USC
• Round 6, No. 204: Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College
• Round 7, No. 243: Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana

The Texans did a nice job filling out one of the league’s best rosters.

Houston didn’t need much to become an elite Super Bowl contender after reaching the divisional round for three consecutive seasons. Still, it managed to add arguably the draft’s best run defender, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. Meanwhile, the Texans continued building up their offensive line with their first pick, snagging Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge, who will likely move from guard to center.

If general manager Nick Caserio gets nothing other than good depth and starting-level contributions from Rutledge and McDonald, this was a worthwhile class.

9. Baltimore Ravens

Grade: B-

• Round 1, No. 14: Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State
• Round 2, No. 45: Zion Young, edge, Missouri
• Round 3, No. 80: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
• Round 4, No. 115: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
• Round 4, No. 133: Matthew Hibner, TE, SMU
• Round 5, No. 162: Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke
• Round 5, No. 173: Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama
• Round 5, No. 174: Adam Randall, RB, Clemson
• Round 6, No. 211: Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State
• Round 7, No. 250: Rayshaun Benny, DT, Michigan
• Round 7, No. 253: Evan Beerntsen, G, Northwestern

While the Ravens didn’t draft a center to replace Tyler Linderbaum, they did a nice job with almost everything else.

On the first night, Baltimore landed the best interior prospect in the draft, selecting Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane. Come Friday evening, the Ravens took Missouri edge rusher Zion Young to rotate into the pass rush before selecting their first of two receivers, Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt.

If one of the wideouts ends up becoming a factor, and Baltimore gets some juice from Young in the pass rush, those will be considered huge wins over the draft’s final two days.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

Grade: B

• Round 2, No. 41: Cashius Howell, edge, Texas A&M
• Round 3, No. 72: Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
• Round 4, No. 128: Connor Lew, C, Auburn
• Round 4, No. 140: Colbie Young, WR, Georgia
• Round 6, No. 189: Brian Parker II, C, Duke
• Round 7, No. 221: Jack Endries, TE, Texas
• Round 7, No. 226: Landon Robinson, DT, Navy

Cincinnati didn’t have a first-round pick, trading it to the Giants for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II. But in the second round, the Bengals found a terrific value pick, edge rusher Cashius Howell, who fell to No. 41.

For Cincinnati, this entire offseason was about adding defensive talent to complement an offense loaded with stars. The Bengals did that in free agency with safety Bryan Cook and edge rusher Boye Mafe, then traded for Lawrence. In the draft, Howell was the first of three defensive picks, including third-round corner Tacario Davis, who should compete for immediate playing time opposite DJ Turner II.

7. Indianapolis Colts

Grade: B

• Round 2, No. 53: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
• Round 3, No. 78: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
• Round 4, No. 113: Jalen Farmer, OG, Kentucky
• Round 4, No. 135: Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
• Round 5, No. 156: George Gumbs Jr., edge, Florida
• Round 6, No. 214: Caden Curry, edge, Ohio State
• Round 7, No. 237: Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky
• Round 7, No. 254: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

The Colts needed to nail this draft despite not having a first-round pick as a result of the Sauce Gardner trade. This offseason, Indianapolis watched as right tackle Braden Smith, linebacker Zaire Franklin, receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and others either left via free agency or the draft.

With that in mind, general manager Chris Ballard found Georgia linebacker CJ Allen in the second round to replace Franklin after he made 88 tackles and 3.5 sacks as part of an All-American campaign. After selecting Allen, the Colts picked LSU safety A.J. Haulcy to replace Nick Cross, another free agent who left in March.

For not having a first-rounder, Indianapolis snagged plenty of talent in the draft.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

Grade: B

• Round 1, No. 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
• Round 2, No. 38: Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona
• Round 3, No. 67: Keyron Crawford, edge, Auburn
• Round 3, No. 91: Trey Zuhn III, IOL, Texas A&M
• Round 4, No. 101: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
• Round 4, No. 122: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
• Round 5, No. 150: Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona
• Round 5, No. 175: Hezekiah Masses, CB, California
• Round 6, No. 195: Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
• Round 7, No. 229: Brandon Cleveland, DT, North Carolina State

This draft class is going to hinge entirely on whether Fernando Mendoza works out.

Mendoza went No. 1 to the Raiders, with Las Vegas hoping he becomes the first franchise quarterback the team has drafted and developed since the days of Ken Stabler in the 1970s. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Mendoza, threw for 41 touchdowns in 2025, leading Indiana to a national championship.

Beyond Mendoza, the Raiders had a strong draft. They selected safety Treydan Stukes in the second round to bolster their defense before landing edge rusher Keyron Crawford at the end of Day 2. With the first pick of the fourth round, general manager John Spytek took a chance on Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy, who has knee concerns but also better talent than anybody in this class at his position save for LSU’s Mansoor Delane.

If McCoy works out and reaches anywhere near his vast potential, this could be a cornerstone draft on both sides of the ball.

5. New England Patriots

Grade: B

• Round 1, No. 28: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
• Round 2, No. 55: Gabe Jacas, DE, Illinois
• Round 3, No. 95: Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame
• Round 5, No. 171: Karon Prunty, CB, Wake Forest
• Round 6, No. 196: Dametrious Crownover, DT, Texas A&M
• Round 6, No. 212: Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU
• Round 7, No. 234: Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech
• Round 7, No. 245: Jam Miller, RB, Alabama
• Round 7, No. 247: Quintayvious Hutchins, edge, Boston College

The Patriots struggled to protect Drake Maye last season despite investing a first-round pick in left tackle Jack Campbell, New England gave up 47 sacks.

New England doubled down by taking Caleb Lomu out of Utah to start its draft, potentially seeing him as a right tackle for this year or next. After Lomu, the Patriots stayed in the trenches, picking edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who recorded 27 sacks across four years with the Illini.

In the third round, general manager Eliot Wolf selected 245-pound tight end Eli Raridon, who should pair with Hunter Henry in 12- and 13-personnel formations. Finally, keep an eye on corner Karon Prunty out of Wake Forest, a fifth-rounder, who, at 6' 1" and 190 pounds has good size and physicality.

4. Cleveland Browns

Grade: A-

• Round 1, No. 9: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
• Round 1, No. 24: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
• Round 2, No. 39: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
• Round 2, No. 58: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
• Round 3, No. 86: Austin Barber, OT, Florida
• Round 5, No. 146: Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama
• Round 5, No. 149: Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama
• Round 5, No. 170: Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati
• Round 6, No. 182: Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
• Round 7, No. 248: Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU

Last year, the Browns had one of, if not the best, draft classes in the league. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger won Defensive Rookie of the Year with 156 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions, while tight end Harold Fannin Jr. caught 72 passes for 731 yards and six touchdowns.

Cleveland is hoping to have mirrored that success this time around, and early returns are positive. After taking Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9, the Browns landed receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston to bolster a receiving corps that had Jerry Jeudy and not much else. Concepcion should also help on special teams after earning All-American honors in that arena, having scored twice on punt returns in 2025.

Florida tackle Austin Barber was also a quality third-round selection, as he started 39 games over the past four years for the Gators. Coming into a completely revamped room, he could challenge for a starting spot soon.

3. Tennessee Titans

Grade: A

• Round 1, No. 4: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
• Round 1, No. 31: Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
• Round 2, No. 60: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
• Round 5, No. 142: Fernando Carmona, OG, Arkansas
• Round 5, No. 165: Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
• Round 6, No. 184: Jackie Marshall, DT, Baylor
• Round 6, No. 194: Pat Coogan, C, Indiana
• Round 7, No. 225: Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma

The Titans have been busy all offseason, and that theme carried over to the draft.

On Thursday night, Tennessee was scheduled to pick only fourth and did, landing Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate as a weapon for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. But then the Titans traded back into the first round to select Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk, who, at 21, is already a premier run defender with pass-rushing traits. Coach Robert Saleh, a former defensive coordinator with the 49ers, might be the perfect man to get those talents out of Faulk, who had seven sacks in 2024.

In the second round, Tennessee found value in off-ball linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who should compete with Cody Barton and Cedric Gray for playing time at the second level. With Texas, Hill recorded 69 tackles with four sacks last season before running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, weighing in at 239 pounds during the NFL combine.

While Tennessee has a long climb ahead, this class might jumpstart that odyssey.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Grade: A

• Round 1, No. 6: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
• Round 1, No. 29: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
• Round 2, No. 40: R Mason Thomas, edge, Oklahoma
• Round 4, No. 109: Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon
• Round 5, No. 161: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
• Round 5, No. 176: Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati
• Round 7, No. 249: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

Kansas City needed to upgrade its roster this offseason after finishing 6–11 last year. After doing so with running back Kenneth Walker III on offense, general manager Brett Veach turned his attention to the defense in the draft.

After trading up three spots with Cleveland, the Chiefs plucked LSU corner Mansoor Delane with the No. 6 pick. Then, at No. 29, they went to the interior line with Clemson’s Peter Woods, who notched 12 tackles for loss and five sacks over the past two seasons. In the second round, Veach selected Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas, who at 241 pounds gives defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo a speed look from the outside.

While a few third-day picks such as Oregon slot corner Jadon Canady and Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson could contribute as rookies, it’s the first three selections that give the Chiefs a chance to reach another Super Bowl quickly.

1. New York Jets

Grade: A

• Round 1, No. 2: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech
• Round 1, No. 16: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
• Round 1, No. 30: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
• Round 2, No. 50: D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
• Round 4, No. 103: Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State
• Round 4, No. 110: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
• Round 6, No. 188: Anez Cooper, OG, Miami (FL)
• Round 7, No. 228: VJ Payne, S, Kansas State

Perhaps no team had more to accomplish in the draft than the Jets, and arguably no team did.

New York was extremely busy throughout the draft’s three days but especially on Thursday night, as the only franchise to pick a trio of players in the first round. At No. 2, the Jets landed edge rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech, who led the nation with 14.5 sacks last year.

Next, New York nabbed Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16, giving the offense a nice tandem with second-year man Mason Taylor. At No. 30, the Jets once again went with a pass catcher, selecting Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana after he posted 937 yards and 13 touchdowns before running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

In the second round, New York went back to the Indiana well for corner D’Angelo Ponds, who plays a physical, gritty brand of football despite weighing just 182 pounds at 5' 8". He could immediately compete to play boundary snaps alongside Brandon Stephens and Nahshon Wright or slide inside to man the slot.

Stocked with three first-rounders next year, the Jets are well-positioned for a rapid turnaround if these classes pan out.

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Matt Verderame is a national NFL staff writer for Sports Illustrated, writing features, columns and more. Before joining Sports Illustrated in March 2023, Verderame wrote for FanSided and SB Nation. He’s a proud husband to Stephanie and father of two girls, Maisy and Genevieve. In his spare time, Verderame is an avid collector of vintage baseball cards.

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