The NFL draft never goes as expected, with some picks standing out more than others. The best picks in the 2026 NFL draft include Caleb Downs, Jermod McCoy, Arvell Reese, Rueben Bain Jr., Dillon Thieneman, Avieon Terrell, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Zion Young, and Chris Bell.
Caleb Downs, Jermod McCoy
Downs, a top prospect in the first round, slipped. The Dallas Cowboys moved up from pick 12 to 11, where they selected the safety out of Ohio State. This move will be well worth it for the Cowboys. A top-five overall prospect dropped past number 10, and Dallas jumped all over it. Downs will be great in the secondary, thanks to his versatility and elite pre-snap recognition. He’s good at all three levels of the field, with impressive coverage, blitzing, and run-game skills. This is a great pick for Dallas and the best pick in the draft.
The steal of this draft is McCoy. He’s a first-round talent who fell to the Las Vegas Raiders in round four (pick 101) due to his history. He missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL, and teams were worried about a potential second surgery. The Tennessee product is extremely skilled at playing the football. This is a low-risk, high-reward pick. If he’s available, a fourth-round price will look silly. The Raiders got a good one here and added to their impressive offseason.
