The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and there were plenty of surprises. From the Los Angeles Rams taking Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall to the Arizona Cardinals shocking everyone by selecting Carson Beck as their potential quarterback of the future, the draft had no shortage of wild moments across all three days.
PFSN graded each selection in our NFL Draft HQ and reacted to every single pick on our live 2026 NFL Draft Show, but let’s evaluate which teams ended up on both ends of the spectrum. Here are the three best-graded classes and the three worst-graded drafts.
While the 2026 NFL Draft is over, undrafted free agency is just getting started! Follow along to every UDFA signing with PFSN’s 2026 UDFA Tracker!
Highest 2026 NFL Draft Grades
Washington Commanders, A+
- LB Sonny Styles, A | No. 7
- WR Antonio Williams, A+ | No. 71
- EDGE Joshua Josephs, A+ | No. 147
- RB Kaytron Allen, B+ | No. 187
- OC Matt Gulbin, B+ | No. 209
- QB Athan Kaliakmanis, C- | No. 223
PFSN’s Ian Cummings: “Look, they didn’t have an excess of draft capital, so the margin for error was extremely thin, especially for a team that made headway in free agency by adding a few high-ticket names. But they really needed to capitalize on the draft capital they had, and they did, getting my first overall prospect in Sonny Styles at seventh overall, getting my 33rd overall prospect Antonio Williams at 71st overall, getting a two of my top-100 guys outside of the top 150 in Joshua Josephs and Kaytron Allen, and then getting a starting center, in my opinion, in Matt Gulbin with the 209th pick.
“Athan Kaliakmanis is not the pick that I would have made in the later rounds, but I can see why they did it, just solidifying the QB position. The fact of the matter is I think they got, at the very least, two high-level rotational prospects and two, maybe three starters at the end of the day. I think they filled a lot of holes for this team to get back to contention. The Commanders got the most bang for their buck with just six selections.”
Best Pick: Antonio Williams is the ideal WR prospect for evaluators who marry film and analytical indicators. He was an immediate breakout as a true freshman, accounting for almost 20% of his team’s receiving output. In 2024, he accounted for over 23% of Clemson’s receiving volume, and nearly one-third of the team’s total passing touchdowns. And in 2025, he remained productive amidst a stark downturn for the Tigers’ offensive efficiency as a whole. As his high volume would imply, the 5’11”, 190-pound Williams is a natural-born separator with rare throttle and angle freedom as a mover, and his lightning-level twitch aids him both as a route technician and a RAC weapon. Durability is an ongoing concern, but Williams’ dual-sided separation and RAC framework is tried and true at the NFL level.
Atlanta Falcons, A+
- CB Avieon Terrell, A+ | No. 48
- WR Zachariah Branch, A | No. 79
- LB Kendal Davis, C | No. 134
- DT Anterio Thompson, C- | No. 208
- LB Harold Perkins Jr., B+ | No. 215
- OG Ethan Onianwa, C- | No. 231
PFSN’s Cam Mellor: “The Atlanta Falcons didn’t have a first-round pick after trading it to the Los Angeles Rams last year, but they drafted Avieon Terrell (A+ grade) in the second round and Zachariah Branch (A grade) in the third round, and they got good value with both picks.”
MORE: 2026 NFL Undrafted Free Agent Tracker
Best Pick: Avieon Terrell and A.J. Terrell may actually be the biggest winners of the NFL Draft, as they are now teammates in the Falcons’ secondary. Avieon carved out his own place as a stalwart for Clemson, recording 2 interceptions, 8 forced fumbles, and 21 pass breakups over his final two seasons. The younger Terrell doesn’t quite have the same size-speed combination as his brother, but he is one of the most technically and schematically-versatile CBs in the class. With his fast feet, fluid mobility, recovery burst, and sound technique, he can play press-man, flawlessly orient to WRs in off-man and toggle through techniques, or manage route relationships in zone. Terrell also has actionable slot-boundary versatility on Day 1, and he’s a true two-phase playmaker with ball skills against the pass and unique turnover-generating potential in run defense. An up-and-coming young player with an unnaturally high floor, Terrell has instant impact starter ability.
Carolina Panthers, A
- OT Monroe Freeling, A | No. 19
- DT Lee Hunter, A+ | No. 49
- WR Chris Brazzell II, A+ | No. 83
- CB Will Lee III, B+ | No. 129
- OC Sam Hecht, A+ | No. 144
- S Zakee Wheatley, B+ | No. 151
- LB Jackson Kuwatch, C- | No. 227
Best Pick:Â Chris Brazzell II had early-round buzz after transferring from Tulane to Tennessee, but his first year with the Volunteers was a “mulligan” of sorts, as Brazzell struggled to secure consistent playing time behind future NFL Draft pick Dont’e Thornton. In 2025, however, Brazzell climbed back up the depth chart and took full advantage of his opportunity. At 6’5″, 200 pounds, Brazzell has all of the catch-point skills you’d expect. He can create vertical separation and box out DBs with his frame, and he can snare high passes with steely focus and gravity-defying body control. Those elite catch-point traits translated to elite catch-point production in 2025; per TruMedia, he boasted a low 3.4% drop rate and an incredible 16.5% catch rate over expectation. That said, he’s also a promising vertical route runner and mover for his size, with the smooth, gliding explosiveness and the effortless flexibility to create and capitalize on angle advantages. Brazzell isn’t as efficient as a RAC presence, and he also has multiple driving violations on his record that will force teams to do due diligence. Nevertheless, if his off-field evaluation checks out, he has tantalizing upside as an explosive vertical-stressing WR2.
Lowest 2026 NFL Draft Grades
Seattle Seahawks, D+
- RB Jadarian Price, D- | No. 32
- S Bud Clark, D | No. 64
- CB Julian Neal, B+ | No. 99
- OG Beau Stephens, C | No. 148
- WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr., C- | No. 199
- CB Andre Fuller, B+ | No. 236
- DT Deven Eastern, C- | No. 242
- CB Michael Dansby, B | No. 255
Worst Pick: Jadarian Price naturally got overlooked at times in the shadow of Heisman finalist and likely first-round pick Jeremiyah Love, but make no mistake: Price is a compelling NFL Draft prospect in his own right. Price might be a bit smaller and leaner than Love, but his utility as a creator and an explosive vertical threat should translate on Sundays. Price has a great blend of vision, spatial instincts, foot speed, smooth fluidity, and cutting range, and he goes 0-to-100 in a blink when he has a runway to attack. Price never proved himself at a high volume as a receiving threat, but he has actionable value as a pass protector, and his athletic talents suggest he has more to show as a RAC weapon. In addition to his immediate value as a change-of-pace back, he also doubles as an elite kick return weapon with his speed and spatial instinct; he housed two kick returns in his final collegiate season. However, the issue here is that he went way too high as a first-rounder, and he hasn’t shown that he can be a volume back, which limits his upside despite his cost.
San Francisco 49ers, D+
- WR De’Zhaun Stribling, D- | No. 33
- EDGE Romello Height, D- | No. 70
- RB Kaelon Black, C- | No. 90
- DT Gracen Halton, A+ | No. 107
- OT Carver Willis, C- | No. 127
- CB Ephesians Prysock, B+ | No. 139
- LB Jaden Dugger, C- | No. 154
- OT Enrique Cruz Jr., C- | No. 179
Worst Pick: De’Zhaun Stribling was widely regarded as a Day 3 WR prospect, but San Francisco took him early in Round 2. He has an intriguing blend of size, athleticism, and every-down utility. Originally a three-star recruit from Hawaii, Stribling began his career with the Washington State Cougars and broke out as a true freshman. Across his first two collegiate seasons, he totaled 95 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns, then transferred to Oklahoma State. He missed all but four games to a hand injury in his first season with the Cowboys, then went 52-882-6 in 2024, before closing out his career with a 55-811-6 campaign at Ole Miss. Along the way, Stribling earned a solid 78 PFSN WR Impact score, and the analytics paint an even better picture. Per TruMedia, Stribling boasted a meager 2% drop rate with the Rebels, as well as a near-10% catch rate over expectation, and 2.29 RAC yards over expectation per catch. Stribling produced from the get-go in college, and that early breakout tracks with his high-level tools. At 6’2″, 207 pounds, with near-32″ arms and sub-4.4 speed, Stribling has a tantalizing size-speed profile on the vertical plane, as well as the combined catch radius and body control to make impressive high-difficulty catches at multiple ranges. Stribling’s route tree needs more development, but his non-elite hip fluidity and bend slightly reduces his ceiling in that department, and that could confine him to a rotational role at his maximum. Having said all this, Stribling has clear utility as a combined vertical and RAC threat with his speed, vision, physicality, and catch-point conversion, and he’s an excellent blocker as well. While he may never be a full-time starter, Stribling has a high-floor as a quality WR3 and rotational presence with niche receiving value and multi-phase utility.
Los Angeles Rams, D+
- QB Ty Simpson, D- | No. 13
- TE Max Klare, C | No. 61
- OT Keagen Trost, C- | No. 93
- WR CJ Daniels, C+ | No. 197
- DT Tim Keenan III, B+ | No. 232
PFSN’s Jacob Infante: “Maybe this is wrong of me to be like, ‘Oh, I’m doubting what Sean McVay and Les Snead did, but I thought Ty Simpson was a reach at No. 13; it was a D- grade. Max Klare, I mean, is not some bad value at No. 61 overall. I just don’t know if the positional focus is all that great, especially after you draft Terrance Ferguson in the second round last season. You’re bringing a tight end into that already crowded room. I liked Keagen Trost. Tim Keenan III was a good pick. CJ Daniels is not bad as just a depth wide receiver. I just don’t know how much of an impact you’re going to get out of this rookie class this year. You were a game away from the Super Bowl this past season, and I don’t think you added a single impact player for 2026.”
Worst Pick: Ty Simpson’s sample size remains frustratingly small, but the Alabama passer still went No. 13 overall to the Rams. One of Simpson’s best traits is his mechanical profile; he has some of the cleanest throwing form in the class, with consistent sync and hip torque across situations. And in his best moments, he’s shown he can quickly discern coverage voids pre-snap and anticipate over the middle. That said, his post-snap processing and trigger run hot-and-cold, his situational precision falters too often in spite of his solid mechanics, and his non-elite arm strength shows up when attempting to drive passes downfield. With his general freneticism, Simpson could’ve benefitted from returning to school, but in a scarce QB class, he’s the best positioned to benefit. He resembles Marc Bulger with his talent profile and good-not-great operational skill set, and while he may never elevate a team to Super Bowl contention, a quality starting career is on the table.
