NFL Draft 2026 Team-by-Team Analysis and Grades for Rounds 1-3

A handful of teams will stand out among the rest when it comes to their 2026 NFL draft picks.

The Las Vegas Raiders possess one of the biggest spotlights going into training camp because they took Fernando Mendoza at No. 1.

Las Vegas' draft class could be far more impactful than the new franchise quarterback. It added one of the top defenders available on Day 2.

The Arizona Cardinals caught some attention for taking Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 and then selecting Carson Beck at the start of the third round.

Arizona entered the draft with plenty of needs, but not all of them have been filled through three rounds.

Team-By-Team Draft Grades

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Arizona: B-

Atlanta: C

Baltimore: B+

Buffalo: A

Carolina: B

Chicago: B

Cincinnati: B-

Cleveland: A-

Dallas: A

Denver: C

Detroit: B

Green Bay: C+

Houston: C

Indianapolis: B-

Jacksonville: B

Kansas City: A

Los Angeles Chargers: B-

Los Angeles Rams: C-

Las Vegas: A

Miami: B+

Minnesota: B

New England: C+

New Orleans: B

New York Giants: B+

New York Jets: B+

Philadelphia: B

Pittsburgh: B-

Seattle: B

San Francisco: B+

Tampa Bay: B-

Tennessee: C

Washington: A

Las Vegas: A

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The Las Vegas Raiders' 2026 draft class will be judged on Fernando Mendoza's success.

The Raiders did add some intriguing defensive players on Day 2, and if Mendoza plays well on offense, the class could go down as one of the more well-rounded units.

Safety Treydan Stukes is the defensive gem of the Raiders' draft class. The Arizona product had a strong final season in the Big 12 with six passes defended, four interceptions and 52 tackles.

ESPN's Ryan McFadden outlined some incredible statistics that Stukes put up at Arizona, including zero touchdowns allowed on 81 targets as the primary defender dating back to 2023.

Stukes has the potential to be a star in the Raiders secondary. The combination of Mendoza and Stukes could give the Raiders the best first two picks of the 2026 draft when it is re-evaluated in a few years.

Arizona: B-

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The Arizona Cardinals will be one of the most-watched teams when it comes to their rookie class.

The Cardinals selected Carson Beck at the start of the third round. He was the first signal-caller taken outside of the first round.

Beck will at least compete for a starting position in training camp, but there's no guarantee he'll get the best of Jacoby Brissett.

Beck was a mixed bag in college. He had an incredible final few games with Miami, but he also had two double-digit interception seasons, one with the Hurricanes and the other in his last year with Georgia.

There's no doubt Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick, will make an impact, but a lot of attention will be paid to Beck's development because the third-round pick could've been used to improve other areas of the roster.

Kansas City: A

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Kansas City had a clear objective to improve its defense on the first two days of the draft.

The Chiefs added to their front four with the addition of Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas in the second round.

Thomas produced 6.5 sacks last season in the SEC. He is expected to provide some pass-rushing depth behind George Karlaftis.

Thomas joins a draft class that also includes cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods.

Kansas City got deeper and younger on defense to deal with the growing challenges across the AFC West.

The Chiefs should go after some offensive depth on Day 3, but they have to be very pleased with their haul from Days 1 and 2.