The NFL Draft has come and gone. It was an interesting three days to say the least. Some major names tumbled down the board, a few teams got absolute steals, and a few picks left us scratching our heads. Now it’s time to grade the teams and declare who won and who lost. Here are our 2026 AFC Draft Grades by team.
AFC East
New England Patriots: B+
Mike Vrabel lost draft week, but the Patriots did quite well. They got Caleb Lomu at the end of the first and added underrated pass rusher Gabe Jacas.
Buffalo Bills: B-
The Bills used a flurry of trades to continue to move back and stock up picks. Their selections of TJ Parker and Jalen Kilgore were my favorites and should improve their defense.
Miami Dolphins: C
Kadyn Proctor was a huge reach for me where they got him. They needed to protect Malik Willis but not that high with that player.
New York Jets: A
The Jets crushed their draft. From David Bailey to Omar Cooper Jr., New York had one of the best drafts in the entire league.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars: D
I really don’t like what the Jaguars did. Without a first-round pick, you had to nail the second round pick. Instead, they took a tight end in the 50s that was ranked in the 120s.
Tennessee Titans: C+
Carnell Tate was their choice in the first round which gives Cam Ward a legit weapon. If Keldrick Faulk pans out it’s a win, but passing on Arvell Reese was a head scratcher for me.
Houston Texans: C-
Marlin Klein was the biggest confusion here who they drafted in the second round despite not being one of the top 5 tight ends available.
Indianapolis Colts: B
The Colts were able to add a lot of value despite not having a ton of high picks and got great value with AJ Haulcy.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: B+
One of my favorite players in the draft, Zion Young, fell to the Ravens in the middle of the second round and should be an impact starter from Day 1.
Pittsburgh Steelers: C
Max Iheanachor will be hit or miss as a raw offensive lineman with limited experience. On top of that, drafting Drew Allar felt like a cheeky PA move, similar to taking Kenny Pickett a few years ago.
Cincinnati Bengals: B
After getting Dexter Lawrence for their 10th overall pick, the Bengals also added EDGE Cashius Howell as they revamp their defensive line and hope to get some pass rush.
Cleveland Browns: A
Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston? Say less. This was a home run draft for the Browns where they made moves and traded down to add more value.
AFC West
Las Vegas Raiders: A
The Raiders had one of the best two day stretches of the draft in their franchise’s history and if Jermod McCoy, a potential top 5 pick who fell to the 4th due to injury, pans out then it will be the best.
Kansas City Chiefs: B
The Chiefs traded up in the first round to take Mansoor Delane, but I really thought they should have invested in a receiver instead.
Denver Broncos: C+
Denver had just one selection in the top three rounds of this draft so it will be a wait and see for the day three guys they took.
Los Angeles Chargers: B-
The Chargers were lucky that Akheem Messidor fell to them in the first round and I have no doubt that Justin Herbert celebrated the selection of four offensive linemen.