NFL
By: Joey MacDonald
Over 3 days in Pittsburgh, the 2026 NFL Draft went by in a single fell swoop, with 257 picks in 7 Rounds. All 32 teams came away with some talented college players that could be franchise-altering talent for the future and beyond. Every year, the NFL Draft produces both winners and losers among the 32 teams. Some teams ended up as winners in the 2026 NFL Draft, while others ended up as losers in the draft. And, these 5 teams came out of the 2026 NFL Draft as being the biggest losers of the weekend.
Biggest Loser #1: Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams left the 2026 NFL Draft as one of the major losers coming out of Pittsburgh. At #13, the Rams selected Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who became the biggest question mark of the entire 1st round. The selection of Simpson could be another Jordan Love situation, like how Green Bay had him sit behind Aaron Rodgers. Matthew Stafford, who won MVP last season, is still the quarterback of a very talent super bowl contender. We will see if Rams GM Les Snead, within 3 years, made the right decision in selecting Ty Simpson.
Biggest Loser #2: San Francisco 49ers
Another NFC West team had a very puzzling and very poor draft from the start are the San Francisco 49ers. Originally, they had the 27th pick in the 1st round, then traded back twice out of the 1st round. With their 1st pick of the draft, San Francisco selected Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, which was questionable. But the 49ers front office always gambles on finding hidden gems in the later rounds, then finding 1st round talent. San Francisco will need to bank on the late-round picks in this draft class to propel it over the Seattle Seahawks.
Biggest Loser #3: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have a 1st round pick after trading this year’s pick to Cleveland after drafting Travis Hunter. GM James Gladstone had some questionable draft reaches throughout the entire 2026 draft, and his 1st pick has a reach. Nate Boerkricher, TE, from Texas A&M, was a reach at and was not even top 10 at his position. The only pick that made sense for the Jaguars was the selection of Emmanuel Pregnon, Guard, from Oregon at #83. Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars had a bad draft, I believe this team is a Dark Horse in the AFC.
Biggest Loser #4: Tennessee Titans
From one AFC South team to another, the Tennessee Titans’ draft class is being looked at as a missed opportunity. Carnell Tate is a very talented WR who can help Cam Ward, but a lack of wide receivers will hurt. Plus, missing out on Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs will hurt big time for their defense. But, they traded back into the 1st round and selected Keldric Faulk from Auburn to help the pass rush. The Titans’ draft class looks questionable, but if they can silence all of the critics with immediate on-field production.
Biggest Loser #5 Green Bay Packers:
The Packers had themselves a dismal draft when they trade 1st pick to Dallas after acquiring Micah Parsons last season. There were some needs that they missed out on, like getting some help on the offensive line, and others. With there 1st pick at #52, the secondary was addressed with the selection of Brandon Cisse from South Carolina. They were also able to draft some depth at DL with DT Chris McClellan and Edge Rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. With their 1st round in 2027 also going to Dallas, the Packers could miss on impact players in 2027.
Overall Thoughts:
The 2026 NFL Draft have their fair share of draft picks in all 7 rounds of the draft. And, these 5 teams came out as the biggest losers of the 2026 NFL draft, but can try to redeem themselves. But who knows if these drafts turn out to be the right ones for these teams? All teams have their own way of viewing talent and will see if these picks pan out in 2026. Now, with the 2026 NFL draft officially in the record books its time to showcase this crop of rookies.
