2026 NFL draft: Yates' five favorite picks in every round - ESPN

The dust has settled on the 2026 NFL draft, and what a week it was in Pittsburgh.

Of course, the Raiders kicked off Round 1 by drafting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but then the real fun began. The Rams shocked everyone by taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13. Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who was No. 16 on my board, fell all the way to Round 4 because of injury concerns. And there were 41 draft-day trades by the end of Round 7, the second most in a single draft since 1990, per ESPN Research.

Draft preparation for what should be an exciting 2027 class starts soon, but here is my annual look at the five picks I loved most in each round. These aren't necessarily the best players from each round, but rather the picks I loved the most when factoring in player, value and scheme fit.

Let's start with the Ravens, who snagged one of the most steady Round 1 prospects in this class.

Jump to round:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Note: For the first round, I've focused on picks outside of the top 10, as the first 10 picks were all top-13 players on my final rankings.

Olaivavega Ioane, G, Baltimore Ravens (No. 14)

Baltimore's long-standing «stick and pick» preference yielded another strong value in Round 1. Ioane fills a significant need and was the clear-cut best natural guard in the class (I do believe No. 10 pick Francis Mauigoa will move from tackle to guard for the Giants). Ioane is nasty, tough, extremely reliable and disciplined.

Monroe Freeling, OT, Carolina Panthers (No. 19)

Freeling was the No. 11 player on my final board as he has the upside to become the best pass protector from this class. He has only one season of starting experience and needs to add more core strength, but Carolina affords him an