2026 NFL Draft overreactions: What’s real, what’s not after a wild first round
We break down which narratives hold up — and which ones don’t — from a chaotic opening night
By
Tyler Sullivan
Apr 24, 2026
at
7:01 am ET
•
7 min read
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
The only thing you can guarantee when it comes to the draft — outside of players actually being selected by NFL franchises — is that everyone is going to have a strong opinion on what happened. Those opinions, of course, will vary depending on who you talk to, and sometimes could even vary depending on when you talk to that same person (no doubt the Jets fan who hated the David Bailey pick Thursday night will have talked himself into it by rookie minicamp).
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft generated plenty of storylines to sink our teeth into, and some particularly polarizing developments have the league buzzing.
Below, we’re going to roll through a handful of those storylines and help you discern which you should take seriously and which are mere overreactions.
Cardinals should have passed on Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall
Overreaction vs. reality: Reality
This has nothing to do with Jeremiyah Love, the player. The Notre Dame running back is arguably the most talented prospect in this entire draft, regardless of position. He’s a game-changing back and should dramatically improve the Cardinals running game upon arrival.
With that caveat out of the way, I just don’t see how this makes sense for Arizona from a football standpoint. Sure, Love likely adds some juice to the fanbase, will sell jerseys, and be a popular figure in fantasy football circles, but this doesn’t feel like the best use of the draft asset considering where the Cardinals are in their rebuild.
At the moment, Jacoby Brissett — who was 1-11 as the starter in 2025 — is slated to be Arizona’s QB1 in 2026. Brissett is 33-years-old, so he isn’t the long-term option under center, and there’s currently no clear option for them elsewhere on the depth chart. By the time they find their QB of the future, Love may have too much tread on his tires. Not to mention, Love will now make $12.6 million in average annual salary thanks to being the third overall pick. That instantly makes him one of the highest-paid running backs in the league, slotting in at No. 7 just below Jonathan Taylor ($14 million).
If Arizona were a piece or two away from contending, this would be more palatable, but they’re not.
Rams wasted a first-round pick on Ty Simpson
Overreaction vs. reality: Overreaction
One of the earlier shocks of Round 1 was the Rams using the No. 13 overall pick to bring in Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. This selection was met with mixed reactions. On one side, you have people criticizing the pick because it doesn’t help the 2026 squad in what should be an all-in push towards a Super Bowl in what could be Matthew Stafford’s final season. Then, there’s the other side that argues it’s a forward-thinking move to start preparing for the post-Stafford era. I fall in the camp that this was a good move for Los Angeles.
You have to look at the totality of what the Rams did in the first round, which forces us to go back a few weeks when they traded the No. 29 overall pick to the Chiefs for corner Trent McDuffie. That was the move to help the 2026 team. Entering this cycle, L.A. was armed with two firsts. Sure, they could’ve used both to better push themselves over the top for next season, but I don’t mind them attempting to have their cake and eat it, too.
Stafford is entering the final year of his contract and is entering his age-38 season. While he’s coming off an MVP-winning season in 2025, let’s not forget that there were fears last summer about whether Stafford was even going to be able to play due to a nagging back injury. Those concerns fizzled out, and Stafford went on to have a stellar season, but it’s a good reminder that things can change rapidly in the NFL.
Having Simpson — who started just 15 games at the collegiate level — learning behind Stafford and developing in McVay’s system for however long the veteran decides to keep playing is a prudent move by Les Snead and the Rams, whether McVay likes it or not.
Eagles taking Makai Lemon ends A.J. Brown’s run
Overreaction vs. reality: Reality
Another day, another indicator that A.J. Brown’s days as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles are numbered. The veteran wideout has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, to the point that a post-June 1 trade to the New England Patriots feels inevitable. Meanwhile, the actions of the GM Howie Roseman and the rest of the Eagles front office have not silenced any of that noise. Instead, they’ve continued to pour gasoline on the rumors by seemingly building out the receiver room to cushion the blow of his impending departure.
Sayonara, A.J. Brown?
Getty Images
Before the draft, the Eagles added the likes of Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks. Those moves added depth to the position group, but didn’t exactly give them a one-for-one Brown replacement from a talent standpoint. Well, they started to inch closer to that by trading up to the 20th overall pick to bring aboard USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While he doesn’t have the same profile as Brown, Lemon, who was projected to come off the board much earlier than No. 20, does give the Eagles an elite prospect who could form a strong tandem with DeVonta Smith and should prove to be a go-to option in the slot.
The Biletnikoff Award winner’s arrival was not only further evidence that the Brown trade is coming, but it sort of slammed the door shut on any other possible outcome.
Giants will keep Kayvon Thibodeaux despite drafting Arvell Reese
Overreaction vs. reality: Overreaction
The board fell in New York’s favor during the early portions of the first round. Arvell Reese somehow found his way down to No. 5 overall, and the Giants scooped up the Ohio State product, adding him to a room of elite pass rushers that consists of Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
While it’s a good problem to have, the room is starting to get pretty cramped, and it didn’t take long for folks to wonder if Thibodeaux — who is not as good as Burns nor as promising as Carter — would be the odd man out. ESPN revealed in the moments after Reese was selected that New York does not intend to trade Thibodeaux. Case closed, right? Not so fast.
The report says that the Giants don’t “intend” to trade Thibodeaux right now. That doesn’t mean those intentions can’t change. That’s especially true following the NFL Draft if a team that was keen on drafting a pass rusher was unable to fill the need. In that scenario, a team may be willing to give the Giants more capital than they currently anticipate, thus possibly allowing them to rethink their stance.
Thibodeaux is entering the final year of his contract, and, given that the team has continued to invest in his position, it seems unlikely he’d get an extension out of New York. A divorce is looming, and I don’t think a trade at some point down the line can be ruled out yet as New York would probably like to get something in exchange for parting with a player they selected No. 5 in 2022.
Vikings made the biggest reach with Caleb Banks
Overreaction vs. reality: Reality
The Minnesota Vikings were bold during the first round of the NFL Draft, which was spearheaded by interim GM Rob Brzezinski. The club used the No. 18 overall pick to select Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, which was one of the biggest gambles and was probably the biggest reach of Round 1.
Physically, Banks is elite, measuring at 6-foot-6, 327 pounds and possessing a wingspan that is over 7-feet. Those measurables, coupled with flashes of being an absolute game-wrecker in the trenches, certainly are appealing, but Banks comes with some red flags, namely an injury history. A foot injury limited him to just three games for the Gators in 2025, and then Banks needed to undergo foot surgery after injuring himself during the NFL Scouting Combine. Earlier this week, NFL teams reportedly received a letter that stated Banks’ recent CT scan revealed he is on pace to be cleared for full football activities in early June. While encouraging, there’s still a question of durability.
Banks is also CBS Sports’ No. 92-ranked prospect and No. 9-ranked defensive lineman, so taking him 18th is quite the roll of the dice. That mentioned, if he can stay healthy and Brian Flores gets him playing at his highest potential, this gamble could pay off in a big way.
