The 2026 NFL draft has come and gone. With its passing, the page is turned to the anticipation stage of the offseason, with training camp serving as the next big event, which starts the marathon to the Super Bowl.
However, before fully turning the page, fans and analysts are grappling with the implications of the total influx of rookies. Some groups will elevate the roster, while others will plant the seed of its destruction. Big questions are being asked about the Dallas Cowboys draft, the Arizona Cardinals draft and the Seattle Seahawks draft.
However, here’s a focused look at the biggest winners of the NFL draft, including teams that did a lot with a little and a lot with a lot.
Biggest Winners of 2026 NFL Draft
#5 – New York Giants
The New York Giants’ first draft of the John Harbaugh era set plenty of precedents, but the biggest was a desire to have a dominant pass rush. Arvell Reese joined Abdul Carter in a move that told teams to drop back at their peril. Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo also received a big boost with the addition of Francis Mauigoa. The team found a strong candidate to replace Wan’Dale Robinson with Malachi Fields in the third round.
#4 – Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs needed some targeted picks at key positions and seemingly filled the shopping cart with smart moves. Kansas City spent a fifth-round pick on Emmett Johnson to work as insurance for Kenneth Walker, who is another in a line of former Seahawks players known to have struggled elsewhere. It also found a potential successor for Chris Jones with two pass rushers by the end of the second round.
#3 – Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins had stockpiled a mountain of picks and with the rebuild underway, this year was not the time to play the long game. Miami dropped 13 picks, almost doubling the typical number of picks in a draft.
The team added new pass rushers to bring about the next era of the defense upfront, but it also didn’t neglect the secondary. The team added three receivers and a tight end to replace Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle (whose trade added a first-round pick, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick swap per ESPN) and Darren Waller.
#2 – Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos didn’t have a pick until the third round, but in terms of a value equation, the team has a case to have won the event by drafting Red Murdock as Mr. Irrelevant. Murdock set the FBS record for forced fumbles and had nearly 300 tackles over his last two seasons. Jonah Coleman was also an impressive acquisition and insurance for the injury-prone J.K. Dobbins, with 27 touchdowns from scrimmage in 2024 and 2025.
#1 – Las Vegas Raiders
This was the Super Bowl for the Las Vegas Raiders and the team stepped up. Fernando Mendoza was drafted No. 1, the team landed Jermod McCoy in the fourth round as an impressive value proposition and also took all doubt out of the running back room by adding Mike Washington Jr.
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