Samwise NFL Newsletter
Monday, April 27, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders Select Heisman Winner Fernando Mendoza with No. 1 Overall Pick
The Las Vegas Raiders used the first overall selection Thursday night in Pittsburgh to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season and College Football Playoff National Championship. Mendoza led the FBS with 41 passing touchdowns and completed 72 percent of his passes in 2025. He joins Joe Burrow and Cam Newton as the only players in the common draft era to win the Heisman and national championship before being drafted first overall. Mendoza takes over a Raiders team that finished 3-14 last season and has not reached the playoffs since 2016.
Sources: NFL.com
Arizona Cardinals Draft Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 — Highest Running Back Since Saquon Barkley
The Arizona Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick Thursday in Pittsburgh — the highest a running back has been drafted since the Giants took Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018. Love averaged 6.7 yards per carry across three college seasons and recorded 22 carries of 20 or more yards over the past two years, ranking third among FBS running backs. The selection drew mixed reaction from analysts who pointed to Arizona’s distance from contention, noting the team had the second-worst record in the NFC in 2025. Love joins a Cardinals backfield that also includes veterans James Conner and Trey Benson.
Sources: NBC Sports
Tennessee Titans Surprise NFL Draft with Selection of Ohio State WR Carnell Tate at No. 4 Overall
The Tennessee Titans delivered one of Thursday night’s bigger surprises, selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick in Pittsburgh. The selection tied the record for the highest-drafted Ohio State wide receiver in NFL history, matching Marvin Harrison Jr.’s selection fourth overall in 2024. Most analysts expected Tennessee to address a defensive need with the pick. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi identified Tate as the best contested-catch receiver in the draft class. Tate, who transferred to Ohio State from Northwestern, gives the Titans a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver target as the franchise continues rebuilding after finishing 3-14 in 2025.
Sources: NFL.com
New York Giants Make Dual Top-10 Selections, Draft Arvell Reese Fifth and Francis Mauigoa Tenth
The New York Giants were the only team with two first-round picks inside the top 10 Thursday, selecting Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese fifth overall and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa 10th overall in Pittsburgh. The Giants acquired the 10th pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in the Dexter Lawrence trade. Reese was New York’s top-ranked player entering the draft, while Mauigoa addresses a critical need protecting quarterback Jaxson Dart. New York added cornerback Colton Hood in round two and wide receiver Malachi Fields in round three. Several draft analysts graded the Giants’ class among the strongest of the weekend.
Sources: CBS Sports
Dallas Cowboys Trade Up to No. 11, Select Jim Thorpe Award Winner Caleb Downs from Ohio State
The Dallas Cowboys made one of Thursday’s most praised moves, trading up from pick 12 to 11 to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, sending picks 12, 177, and 180 to the Dolphins. A three-time All-American, Downs won the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and earned back-to-back national championships at Alabama and Ohio State. Dallas paired Downs with free agent addition Jalen Thompson, creating what analysts described as the franchise’s best safety tandem in recent history. The Cowboys used six of seven draft picks on defensive players and earned high grades for a three-day class widely seen as addressing the team’s most urgent needs.
Sources: SI.com
New England Patriots Trade Up to Draft Utah Offensive Tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 28
The New England Patriots employed an unusual draft-day trading tactic Thursday, moving up from pick 31 to 28 — sending selections 31 and 125 to the Buffalo Bills — to draft Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. At 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds, Lomu did not allow a sack across 359 pass-blocking snaps last season, posting a 2.3 percent pressure rate. New England prioritized protecting quarterback Drake Maye, who faced sustained pocket pressure in his first NFL season. A two-year starter at Utah, Lomu projects as an immediate candidate for a starting tackle role as the Patriots aim to improve on their 14-3 regular season record and Super Bowl LX appearance.
Sources: Yahoo Sports
Miami Dolphins Use League-High 13 Draft Picks in Three-Day Roster Overhaul
The Miami Dolphins entered the 2026 NFL Draft holding a league-high 13 picks and used all of them over three days in Pittsburgh. Their selections included Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor 12th overall — obtained after Miami traded the 11th selection to Dallas for additional capital — and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the third round, called the top linebacker prospect in the class by several analysts. Across seven rounds, Miami drafted three wide receivers, three linebackers, two offensive linemen, two tight ends, one cornerback, one safety, and one edge rusher, significantly rebuilding depth on both sides of the ball heading into the 2026 season.
Sources: ESPN
Super Bowl Champion Seahawks Use Eight Draft Picks in Bid to Defend Title
Super Bowl LX champions Seattle converted a four-pick allotment into eight selections through trades, using the full draft to deepen the roster defending its title. The Seahawks used the 32nd overall pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, selected TCU safety Bud Clark 64th overall in the second round, and added Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal 99th overall in the third round. Head coach Mike Macdonald’s team went 14-3 in 2025 before defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in February. No team has won consecutive Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Sources: Seattle Sports
2026 NFL Draft Final Grades: Giants Lead Class, Bears and Jaguars Draw Criticism
With all 257 picks complete, analysts published final draft class grades Monday. The New York Giants drew top marks — the only team with two top-10 picks, they addressed linebacker, offensive line, cornerback, and receiver in the first three rounds. The Chicago Bears, who entered the draft with stated Super Bowl aspirations, failed to select an edge rusher across their first five rounds and waited until round six to address interior defensive line, drawing criticism from multiple grades reports. The Jacksonville Jaguars, without a first-round pick following the Travis Hunter trade, were rated among the weakest draft classes by several analysts including CBS Sports.
Sources: CBS Sports
AFC Divisions
AFC East
1. New England Patriots — 14–3–0
2. Buffalo Bills — 12–5–0
3. Miami Dolphins — 7–10–0
4. New York Jets — 3–14–0
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers — 10–7–0
2. Baltimore Ravens — 8–9–0
3. Cincinnati Bengals — 6–11–0
4. Cleveland Browns — 5–12–0
AFC South
1. Jacksonville Jaguars — 13–4–0
2. Houston Texans — 12–5–0
3. Indianapolis Colts — 8–9–0
4. Tennessee Titans — 3–14–0
AFC West
1. Denver Broncos — 14–3–0
2. Los Angeles Chargers — 11–6–0
3. Kansas City Chiefs — 6–11–0
4. Las Vegas Raiders — 3–14–0
NFC Divisions
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles — 11–6–0
2. Dallas Cowboys — 7–9–1
3. Washington Commanders — 5–12–0
4. New York Giants — 4–13–0
NFC North
1. Chicago Bears — 11–6–0
2. Green Bay Packers — 9–7–1
3. Detroit Lions — 9–8–0
4. Minnesota Vikings — 9–8–0
NFC South
1. Carolina Panthers — 8–9–0
2. Atlanta Falcons — 8–9–0
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 8–9–0
4. New Orleans Saints — 6–11–0
NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks — 14–3–0
2. Los Angeles Rams — 12–5–0
3. San Francisco 49ers — 12–5–0
4. Arizona Cardinals — 3–14–0
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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