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Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, most analysts predicted that the Minnesota Vikings would select Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 18th overall selection in the first round. Of course, the Vikings did not perform as expected, instead selecting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks in the first round.

The Vikings did not address the safety position until the third round, and they selected nine players overall, the most since 2022. Nevertheless, many analysts felt that Minnesota’s first selection was a reach, given that Banks had multiple foot surgeries and was limited to only three games last season.

Banks was projected as a second-round selection, but the Vikings feel he has the talent to be worthy of a first-round selection. If healthy, they may be right.

Still others, prefer athleticDan Brugler feels like the Vikings had one of the worst draft classes in the NFL this year, finishing 29th out of 32 teams.

• DT Caleb Banks – 18th overall
• LB Jake Golde – 51st overall
• DT Domonique Orange – 82nd overall
• OT Caleb Tiernan – 97th overall
• S. Jacobe Thomas – 98th overall
• FB/TE Max Bredesen – 159th overall
• CB Charles Demings – 163rd overall
• RB Demand Claiborne – 198th overall
• IOL Gavin Gerhart – 235th overall

However, it was not all bad. Brugler said that Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golde was his “favorite choice”, believing he had a chance to make an immediate impact in the Vikings’ Brian Flores-led defense.

Brugler said fifth-round cornerback Charles Demings could “surprise” during his NFL career, adding that the prospect “leaves everything he has on the field.” Overall, Brugler felt Demings was a “worthy bet” for the fifth round.

Although he’s certainly a fan of Gould and Demings, Brugler clearly didn’t think much of the Vikings’ draft class as a whole.

RELATED: 4 Minnesota Vikings WR targets after the 2026 NFL Draft

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

The 2026 NFL Draft has ended and while it’s technically too early to declare which teams performed best before these players take the field, it’s always a fun exercise. It’s even more interesting this year because the 2026 draft class was not viewed as particularly strong.

Let’s quickly take a look at our list of the best 2026 NFL Draft classes.

New York Giants

When you have a pair of top-10 selections, it certainly helps to be recognized as one of the best classes from the 2026 NFL Draft. Of course, this came at the cost of the New York Giants trading All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. That said, what happened in Round 1 justified it. Arvell Reese was arguably a top-three prospect in this class, and he is a more well-rounded off-ball linebacker than the Giants’ previous first-round selection Abdul Carter. New York is getting someone with an All-Pro ceiling, and even a 90th percentile result is a perennial Pro Bowl selection who can make an impact on all three downs. With the 10th overall pick, the Giants upgraded their offensive line with Francis Mauigoa. He can be an excellent starter at guard, and by kicking him inside, his timeline to becoming an above average player is accelerated.

We also really liked what New York did the other day. Colton Hood was a marginal talent in the first round, and the Giants took him with the 37th overall pick. He projects to be a quality No. 2 cornerback for a long time, and we’re especially excited to see how defensive coordinator Denard Wilson maximizes his instincts and press-man ability. To the Giants’ credit, they also found a nice complementary receiver to Malik Nabors in Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields (74th overall). He’s not a great athlete, but what matters is he’s 6 feet 4 inches tall, with a big catch radius and the ability to fight through contact. There’s a very good chance that New York came out with four starters, two on each side of the ball. This is a victory.

RELATED: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft

Baltimore Ravens

It’s safe to say that the Baltimore Ravens are happy that the Max Crosby trade just fell through (on their own account). Holding the 14th overall pick, the front office desperately needed help on the interior offensive line with Penn State’s Olivavega Ioane. Using a first-round pick on guard isn’t a “sexy” option, but he is one of the safest prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class with a high chance of becoming an above-average starter for the Ravens.

On Day 2, some good luck occurred for Baltimore when leading tackle Zion Young slipped to 45th overall. A consensus top-40 prospect, Young offers the length-strength-intangibility combo that coaches love in an edge rusher. He can help establish the edge against the run immediately, and he has a long-term path to becoming a very effective three-down player. At No. 80 overall, Baltimore handed Lamar Jackson a pass-catching magnet in 6-foot-4 receiver Ja’Coby Lane. He’ll never be great at getting away from the defense, but the Ravens offense really needed someone who could come up with contested catches and make an impact inside the red zone. To complete that selection, Baltimore added receiver Elijah Sarratt on Day 3 (115th overall). The former Indiana standout isn’t a great athlete, but he knows how to use his 6-foot-2 body to beat corners and get his hands on the football. After a difficult free-agency period, Baltimore hit it out of the park with this draft.

READ MORE: Fantasy football analysis from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft

New York Jets

What a strange world we live in where both the Giants and New York Jets are listed among the best 2026 NFL Draft classes. It certainly helps that having three first-round picks is the result of a teardown, but it really feels like the Jets front office has made very good connections with all three swings. David Bailey offers a Pro Bowl ceiling, and he could be even more impressive given the additional changes New York has already made to its front seven this offseason. The Jets then landed their top-rated pass-catcher in Kenyon Saadiq, whose athleticism and hands gave him a chance to become one of the five best tight ends in the NFL. Rounding out Round 1, New York selected wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. There are legitimate similarities to Deebo Samuel, at least in some of the ways he can be used and what he does as a receiver with the football in his hands.

The impact on cornerback D’Angelo Ponds is obvious: He’s 5 feet 8 inches tall. It is also undisputed that if he had been 5 feet 11 inches tall he would have been in the top 20. Ponds is a very good athlete with a high football IQ and tenacity that head coach Aaron Glenn will love. New York has done a really great job retooling their defense this season, and this draft class has shown a huge commitment to building a better supporting cast for the franchise quarterback heading into the 2027 NFL Draft.

RELATED: Winners, losers from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft

cleveland browns

If we were ranking the best 2026 NFL Draft classes, the Cleveland Browns might be in the No. 1 spot. Landing a franchise quarterback was not possible, so general manager Andrew Berry focused on building the infrastructure for his future face of the franchise. Spencer Fano will immediately become a plug-and-play starter at left tackle for the Browns, which is another step toward dismantling last season’s disastrous offensive line. Cleveland then used their next two picks on Casey Concepcion (24th overall) and Denzel Boston (39th overall), two receivers whose games complement each other perfectly. An apt comparison for this duo is the skill sets that Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton bring to the Denver Broncos’ passing game.

This is already a strong start to the draft. Cleveland then got draft-day steal Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, a first-round talent at safety who inexplicably fell to 58th overall. He can fly all the way down to attack anything in sight, and as a rookie he will play quite a few games inside the box. Berry then added more depth to the offensive line, grabbing swing tackle Austin Barber (86th overall) and interior lineman Parker Brailsford. This feels like an A-minus class for the Browns.

RELATED: Winners, losers from Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft

kansas city chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs faced some skepticism for their decision to trade FLR All-American cornerback Mansur Delaney. In our view, you should be prepared to pay a little more to make sure you get a player you think can be a star. Delaney, the top cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft class, could be a true No. 1 corner and given Steve Spagnuolo’s track record of developing defensive backs, he could be a lockdown perimeter defender. Obviously, given Trent McDuffie’s limitations playing on the boundary, Kansas City may be better off moving forward with this change.

In addition to that selection, Kansas City’s subsequent first-round selection of defensive tackle Peter Woods could yield massive returns a few years from now. He was a lot more show than substance at Clemson, but those peak moments were the type of performances you only see in top-10 prospects. He will also get guidance from Chris Jones. Smartly, the Chiefs continued to prioritize their defense with the selections of Mason Thomas (40th overall pick) and Jadon Canady. Thomas is on the small side as an edge rusher, but a great defensive coordinator can find ways to take advantage of his get-off, strength, motor and understanding of how to win with leverage. Kansas. As for Kennedy, it’s not hard to see him developing as a rookie for the Chiefs. The Chiefs draft class should be vastly improved defensively.

buffalo bill

Coming into the 2026 NFL Draft, there was a lot of talk about this year’s class not being top-heavy, but it did have some depth in terms of role players and upside. The Buffalo Bills had limited chances to take some of those risks until Brandon Beane was traded out of Round 1 altogether. The strategy was successful and Buffalo was well prepared for both the next season and the future.

With their top pick (35th overall), Buffalo made TJ Parker, a great player who would have been a reasonable selection 15 picks earlier. Late in the second round, Beane brought in cornerback Davison Igbinosun, whose length-athleticism combo is perfect for molding into a CB2. While he’s a project that needs to be cleaned up on penalties and footwork, Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is a great teacher.

On Day 3, the Bills coaching staff landed a new project offensive lineman in Jude Bourrie (102nd selection overall), who could be a swing tackle and develop into a future starter. Skylar Bell, a 5-foot-11 receiver from UConn, bears some resemblance to Khalil Shakir and projects as a useful No. 3 receiver. Buffalo then got more good value with its later picks, TCU linebacker Caleb Elarms-Orr and safety Jalon Kilgore. While there is a greater chance that they will not be successful and have a short NFL career, they also offer an extremely high ceiling.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson