One other NFL draft is within the books, and also you’re all overreacting.
Please do not take this the incorrect means. The NFL draft is constructed for overreactions. Your workforce provides a half-dozen or so faculty gamers in a frenzied 48-hour span and all you possibly can take into consideration is which one would be the savior, which one would be the bust and which one you want they’d picked as a substitute.
The factor is, a few of your reactions will develop into appropriate. Some will not. We simply do not know which is which as we sit right here on Saturday night with the 2026 draft nonetheless recent.
What we will do is take our greatest guesses. And also you simply knew the overreactions column was going to wake from its offseason nap to weigh in on a number of.
NFL draft protection:
Day 2 wrap | Spherical 1 winners
Decide recap | Decide evaluation
Spherical 1 questions
The Eagles’ two-year NFC East title streak will finish in 2026
You additionally knew we needed to trot out this outdated chestnut. The 2025 Eagles repeated as division champs, ending a surprising 21-year stretch through which no workforce gained the NFC East in back-to-back years. Can they make it three in a row? Completely, they will.
The Eagles spent the previous couple of days including a first-round receiver in Makai Lemon (USC), a second-round tight finish in Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) and a third-round offensive lineman in Markel Bell (Miami). In addition they acquired edge rusher Jonathan Greenard in a commerce with the Vikings on Day 2 of the draft.
A productive-looking draft weekend for the Eagles as common. However they’re additionally anticipated to commerce their finest large receiver, A.J. Brown, to the Patriots after June 1. They’re altering offensive coordinators for the fourth yr in a row — this time to Sean Mannion. And quarterback Jalen Hurts will enter the 2026 season below a microscope because the offseason has raised recent questions on his function within the workforce’s 2025 offensive struggles.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
This level of this annual train, after all, is that the opposite groups within the division have purpose to imagine they received higher, too. The Giants acquired a ton of reward for his or her Day 1 haul, which noticed them land Ohio State edge rusher/linebacker Arvell Reese and Miami offensive sort out Francis Mauigoa within the prime 10. They drafted Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood within the second spherical and traded up for large receiver Malachi Fields within the third. With new coach John Harbaugh and hopes excessive for second-year QB Jaxson Dart, the Giants could possibly be in for a giant leap in 2026.
The Commanders, who had been Philly’s opponent within the NFC Championship Recreation two seasons in the past, hope to rebound from a down yr with QB Jayden Daniels now wholesome and first-round linebacker Sonny Kinds on board to shore up the protection. And the Cowboys had their common spectacular, workmanlike draft, including security Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence within the first spherical and Michigan edge Jaishawn Barham within the third within the hopes of lastly fixing a protection that fell off a cliff final yr.
The Eagles may nonetheless be the favorites to repeat, however repeating is all the time laborious on this division, and there are many causes for the opposite three groups to assume they’re closing the hole.
The Rams will remorse taking Ty Simpson within the first spherical
The Rams delivered the shocker of the primary spherical after they used the No. 13 decide on the Alabama quarterback. It was a shock as a result of there was a lot debate within the league about whether or not Simpson could be a first-round decide in any respect. And the Rams have 38-year-old reigning MVP Matthew Stafford at quarterback, making them as a lot of a win-now workforce as any within the league.
After barely shedding the NFC West title, the No. 1 seed and the NFC Championship Recreation to the division-rival Seahawks, the Rams appeared like a very good wager to make use of the decide they received from Atlanta in a 2025 draft-day commerce to make their 2026 roster higher. As a substitute of taking a large receiver or edge rusher who may have helped this yr, they took a participant who, if Stafford stays wholesome all season as they hope, will not see the sphere till 2027 on the earliest.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
Might the Rams probably remorse not taking, say, Makai Lemon if Puka Nacua and/or Davante Adams should miss time? Certain. Might they remorse not taking Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. if they’ve hassle making an attempt to signal their glorious younger edge rushers to extensions within the coming years? I assume. However I feel the response to this decide has been means an excessive amount of.
The Rams haven’t any urgent wants on their 2026 roster. They used their very own first-round decide to commerce for All-Professional cornerback Trent McDuffie. You may make a powerful case that they do not want something greater than they could want a quarterback a yr from now, if Stafford decides to retire. That is clearly a quarterback about whom Rams coach Sean McVay has conviction, and the workforce clearly trusts McVay relating to his QB analysis.
Heck, if he is what McVay thinks he’s, it is not out of the query to assume Simpson may assist them in 2026 if Stafford has to overlook a sport or two they usually want their backup to win a sport. The Rams are a corporation that has earned the advantage of the doubt. I would be stunned if this decide prices them an opportunity at subsequent yr’s Tremendous Bowl. I might not be stunned if Simpson seems to be Stafford’s successor and this appears to be like like a really good decide on reflection.
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Domonique Foxworth: Rams’ choice of Ty Simpson is a ‘dangerous wager’
Dan Graziano and Domonique Foxworth element why the Rams’ choice to draft Ty Simpson within the first spherical is not anticipated to repay instantly.
The Cardinals blew it by selecting Jeremiyah Love at No. 3
There isn’t a query that Love is a superb participant who, on expertise alone, deserves to be picked this excessive. The explanation that is even a debate is that Love performs operating again, and selecting a operating again at No. 3 in 2026 means giving him a four-year, $52.5 million absolutely assured rookie contract.
That is by far probably the most cash ever assured to a operating again — rookie or in any other case — at signing, dwarfing the $36 million Saquon Barkley received from the Eagles in his most up-to-date deal. Love’s common wage of $13.125 million makes him the seventh-highest-paid operating again within the league straight away (pending anticipated extensions for Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs), which makes this a really costly decide relative to the marketplace for his place.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
The issue is that the principle goal of the draft, in a league with a wage cap, is to extract most worth from gamers throughout the early years of their careers so you possibly can spend your cap house elsewhere. You’re in search of guys who will outplay the worth of their contracts.
If Love performs like a top-10 operating again all 4 years, the Cardinals will likely be paying him accordingly. In the event that they’d taken, for instance, Ohio State’s Arvell Reese with that decide, Reese would have made the identical $13.125 million per yr (thirty fifth amongst edge rushers). Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, who went one decide later to the Titans, will make a median of $12.7 million over the primary 4 years of his profession. That makes him the Thirty second-highest-paid large receiver.
That is what we imply once we discuss extracting worth. The Titans have a significantly better probability to spend the following 4 years underpaying Tate relative to his efficiency than the Cardinals have of doing the identical with Love. The Cardinals additionally play in a division that featured three 12-win groups in 2025, one in every of which gained the Tremendous Bowl. Their quarterbacks room consists of Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II and third-round rookie Carson Beck. They aren’t a win-now workforce that may have a look at a operating again on an costly contract as the ultimate lacking piece, the best way the Eagles did with Barkley after they signed him as a free agent in 2024 and went on to win the Tremendous Bowl.
Once more, that is no offense to Love, who I hope has a superb profession. The priority is that by the point the Cardinals are more likely to contend, they will be confronting a contract extension with Love that they may not be capable of afford. Arizona may simply be losing the early years of his profession whereas paying him a premium wage.
Malik Willis made an enormous mistake signing with the Dolphins in free company
After two encouraging seasons because the backup quarterback in Inexperienced Bay, Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million take care of the Dolphins this offseason. Miami has a brand new coach and a brand new GM and is clearly in a rebuilding section. The Dolphins launched Tyreek Hill and traded away Jaylen Waddle, leaving them with a large receivers room led by Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell.
Miami drafted two large receivers — Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas and Louisville’s Chris Bell — within the third spherical Friday evening, however Bell is recovering from a torn ACL, and it may be some time earlier than he is usually a issue for the workforce this season. The pass-catcher cabinet is not precisely naked in Miami, but it surely’s not overflowing with clearly glorious choices on a roster that additionally wants assist in plenty of different areas.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
The Dolphins view the Willis signing as greater than a one-year proposition. They assume he might be their franchise quarterback, and their hope is to construct up the roster round him within the coming years.
By the point the fifth spherical ended Saturday, Miami had already made 11 picks and had two nonetheless to go. The Dolphins landed an offensive sort out, Kadyn Proctor, within the first spherical, which they hope will assist make Willis’ life simpler. They drafted some key gamers on protection and a decent finish, Will Kacmarek, from Ohio State.
The Dolphins can lean on dynamic operating again De’Von Achane whereas the younger offense takes form. They won’t contend this season, however Willis is an element of a bigger plan, and I’ve to imagine he signed with Miami along with his eyes large open to the truth of the state of affairs.
Drew Allar would be the Steelers’ beginning quarterback in 2027
The Steelers fired up their western Pennsylvania fan base by utilizing their third-round decide on the Penn State quarterback. Allar joins a quarterbacks room that features veteran Mason Rudolph, 2025 sixth-round decide Will Howard and possibly … possibly … Aaron Rodgers, finally.
Pittsburgh appears to imagine Rodgers will return and play a second season for the workforce, however thus far he has not. If he does — and if he stays wholesome all season — Allar ought to get an opportunity to sit down and develop for a yr no less than. However the Steelers nonetheless probably will want a brand new quarterback in 2027, by which level Rodgers will likely be 43 years outdated and doubtless carried out in the end, proper? Proper????
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
Harmful as it may be to imagine something relating to Rodgers, let’s reside in a world through which he is not again with the Steelers in 2027. They may draft a quarterback for third yr in a row. They may go the veteran Band-Assist route for the fourth yr in a row. They may go any variety of methods, however the Steelers know they should clear up this QB downside in an actual and lasting means sooner or later.
Allar was drafted three rounds sooner than Howard was. The Steelers appear to love Howard, however he was injured for many of his rookie yr and won’t be a lot additional alongside in his growth than Allar is. The Steelers employed Mike McCarthy as their head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down, partly as a result of they imagine in McCarthy’s potential to work with and develop younger quarterbacks.
Can McCarthy carry Allar alongside this yr whilst he works to educate a contender with (presumably) Rodgers because the beginning QB? It isn’t out of the query. Understanding what we all know in regards to the Steelers’ QB state of affairs in the mean time, you possibly can’t rule out the potential of Allar beginning in 2027.
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What Drew Allar brings to the Steelers
What Drew Allar brings to the Steelers
The Raiders might be reputable AFC West contenders in 2026
Las Vegas, with one more new teaching employees, used the No. 1 decide on Heisman Trophy winner and CFP champion Fernando Mendoza, hoping he is the man who can stabilize the Raiders at crucial place and lead them right into a extremely profitable future. That they had what appears to be like to be a really sturdy draft even after that.
The Raiders landed Arizona security Treydan Stukes within the second spherical and Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford within the third. They took a flier on ubertalented however injured Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy and drafted well-regarded Arkansas operating again Mike Washington Jr. later within the fourth spherical.
They made eight complete picks within the first 5 rounds and nonetheless had two left. After an lively free company that adopted the hiring of Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their head coach, there’s pleasure for the longer term in Las Vegas.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
That is greater than a one-year rebuilding challenge, and the Raiders comprehend it. It is one of many causes they felt it was well worth the danger to cease McCoy’s fall at No. 101 on Saturday afternoon. If he can get wholesome, he is probably a high-impact defensive playmaker on a workforce that has been brief on these. Mendoza has the traits to make you assume he is usually a franchise QB.
The Raiders’ offseason has been a very good one. However come on. They play within the AFC West, the place one workforce was the AFC’s No. 1 seed final yr, one other made the playoffs for the second yr in a row and the opposite missed the playoffs however had appeared within the earlier three Tremendous Bowls. The Raiders could possibly be a dramatically improved workforce in 2026 and nonetheless discover it laborious to compete with the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs. You may make a strong case that the longer term is brilliant for the Raiders. It is quite a bit more durable to make the case that the longer term is now.
