5 Takeaways From the 1st Round of the 2026 NFL Draft
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While the prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class might not have been highly-touted, the first round of this year's draft certainly brought the fireworks. Of course, the Las Vegas Raiders took Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, but there were plenty of surprises after that. The Arizona Cardinals took running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick. Not many had the Tennessee Titans drafting wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4. No pick caused a greater shock, though, than the Los Angeles Rams' decision to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Why did Los Angeles add a backup quarterback with such a premium selection? Here are our five takeaways from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft: 1. Cowboys an early winner in draft after getting Caleb Downs outside top 10 Ben Arthur: The Cowboys may have gotten the best player in this year’s draft. And they didn’t have to overspend to get him. There was plenty of speculation pre-draft that Dallas, armed with two first-round picks (Nos. 12, 20), could be aggressive to move up. Instead, it let the board come to them, and traded up just one spot with the Dolphins at a relatively cheap price — pick 12 and two fifth-rounders (Nos. 177, 180) — to take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who’s widely touted as a generational prospect. Jerry Jones and Co. couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. Downs should immediately be one of the best players on a Cowboys’ defense that ranked last in points allowed in 2025. Beyond his incredible instincts and skills, his football IQ can’t be ignored. Thirty-four-year-old Christian Parker will be a first-time defensive coordinator in Dallas. Downs was running Nick Saban’s defense at Alabama as a true freshman, so there’s reason to believe he won’t have the typical rookie hiccups. Parker’s extensive background as a DBs coach with the Broncos (2021-23) and Eagles (2024-25) should serve him in deploying Downs, who’s a safety by position but has the versatility to pla
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While the prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class might not have been highly-touted, the first round of this year's draft certainly brought the fireworks. Of course, the Las Vegas Raiders took Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, but there were plenty of surprises after that. The Arizona Cardinals took running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick. Not many had the Tennessee Titans drafting wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4. No pick caused a greater shock, though, than the Los Angeles Rams' decision to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Why did Los Angeles add a backup quarterback with such a premium selection? Here are our five takeaways from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft: 1. Cowboys an early winner in draft after getting Caleb Downs outside top 10 Ben Arthur: The Cowboys may have gotten the best player in this year’s draft. And they didn’t have to overspend to get him. There was plenty of speculation pre-draft that Dallas, armed with two first-round picks (Nos. 12, 20), could be aggressive to move up. Instead, it let the board come to them, and traded up just one spot with the Dolphins at a relatively cheap price — pick 12 and two fifth-rounders (Nos. 177, 180) — to take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who’s widely touted as a generational prospect. Jerry Jones and Co. couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. Downs should immediately be one of the best players on a Cowboys’ defense that ranked last in points allowed in 2025. Beyond his incredible instincts and skills, his football IQ can’t be ignored. Thirty-four-year-old Christian Parker will be a first-time defensive coordinator in Dallas. Downs was running Nick Saban’s defense at Alabama as a true freshman, so there’s reason to believe he won’t have the typical rookie hiccups. Parker’s extensive background as a DBs coach with the Broncos (2021-23) and Eagles (2024-25) should serve him in deploying Downs, who’s a safety by position but has the versatility to pla
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