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The NFL Draft is all about building for the future, but sometimes the future is now. Some teams can really change their short-term outlook with a few smart picks at the right positions, especially in the early rounds.
So which teams succeeded and which failed to put the final pieces together for their 2026 puzzle? And how did that affect the overall outlook for the league?
Here are my post-draft Power Rankings, which set the stage for the 2026 season as the offseason draws to a close.
Super Bowl odds: +40000
Some believe RB Jeremiah Love will be the best player out of this draft, but how much will he really help a team with so many problems – especially along the offensive line? The Cardinals are still the favorite to get the first pick in the 2027 draft.
Super Bowl odds: +30000
Their two first-round picks were good (OT Kadyn Proctor at 12, CB Chris Johnson at 27) and will help, but they need to get QB Malik Willis some playmakers. Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas was way too big in the third to fill the shoes of the departed Jaylen Waddle.
Super Bowl odds: +15000
Let the offensive rebuild begin with a much-needed tackle (Spencer Fano at No. 9) and two talented receivers (KC Concepcion at No. 24 and Denzel Boston in Round 2). So whoever their QB is will have help. Oh, and competition since Cleveland took another QB — Arkansas’ Taylen Green in Round 6. That’s three out of two drafts!
Arkansas’ Taylen Green, drafted by the Browns, throws a pass during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Super Bowl odds: +15000
They had a great draft, especially on the first two days, and may have gotten a steal on Day 4 with Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy. And obviously they got their franchise QB in Fernando Mendoza. Their future is brighter, but there is still a long way to go.
Super Bowl odds: +20000
They also had a good draft, adding three starters in the first round (edge David Bailey, TE Kenyon Sadiq, WR Omar Cooper) and their nickelback in round 2 (D’Angelo Ponds). QB Geno Smith has plenty of weapons now, but he’s still a liability that will hold this team down.
Super Bowl odds: +9000
They desperately needed a WR to help Chris Olave, and they found one at No. 8 in Arizona State’s explosive WR Jordyn Tyson. That could be huge for QB Tyler Shough and Kellen Moore’s offense. The Saints’ defense still needs work, but second-round DT Christen Miller helps against the run.
Super Bowl odds: +12000
They pulled the first surprise of the draft, taking WR Carnell Tate at No. 4, and now QB Cam Ward has more dangerous weapons. Robert Saleh added another edge rusher in the first (Keldric Faulk) and a linebacker in the second (Anthony Hill). This team is much more talented than it was.
Super Bowl odds: +6000
No first-round pick, but they got two defensive starters in LB CJ Allen and safety AJ Haulcy on Day 2. Both should be solid players, but they might not make much of an impact. The Colts really could have used a receiver to replace Michael Pittman, who they traded away.
Super Bowl odds: +5000
This draft would have looked better had the Eagles not stolen Makai Lemon from them in the first round. Guard Max Iheanachor, the consolation prize, might be a bit of a project, and second-round WR Germie Bernard was a bit of a reach. Taking QB Drew Allar in the third round was a headline pick, but he’s no help for the Steelers this year.
Alabama’s Germie Bernard, drafted by the Steelers, takes part in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Super Bowl odds: +6500
Dan Quinn fell in love with Ohio State LB Sonny Styles and it’s awesome. But what this team needed most were offensive playmakers. They got Clemson WR Antonio Williams in the third, but they needed more, plus more help on the offensive line.
Super Bowl odds: +5000
Edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.’s drop to No. 15 could be great for Todd Bowles, and second-round LB Josaiah Trotter and fourth-round CB Keionte Scott will also help a defense that needs it. And Georgia State WR Ted Hurst (6-3, 207) could end up being a steal for a team that must somehow replace Mike Evans.
Super Bowl odds: +2500
They’ve been laser-focused on defense all offseason long, as they should be. Getting safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 was a steal as some thought he was the best player in the draft. And adding two edge rushers (UCF’s Malachi Lawrence in Round 1, Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham in Round 2) helps rebuild their post-Micah Parsons pass rush.
Den nyligt draftede Dallas Cowboys forsvarsspiller Caleb Downs (til venstre) og Malachi Lawrence poserer med deres første runde trøjer efter deres indledende pressekonferencer på The Star i Frisco den 24. april 2026. Cowboys 5 Super Bowl-trofæerne er også afbildet. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images)
Super Bowl odds: +12000
Drafting CB Aveion Terrell into the same defensive backfield as his brother AJ was a good story with the Falcons’ first pick (second round). But that forced them to wait to address their obvious need at WR. And they took a risk with the speedy Zachariah Branch, who weighs just 5-foot-8, 176 pounds.
Super Bowl odds: +9000
They prioritized the trenches and got Georgia OT Monroe Freeling in the first, which is good. Their real prize, however, could be Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell in the third round. He is a 6-4, 198-pounder with 4.3 speed. QB Bryce Young needed a big threat down the field to take some pressure off Tetairoa McMillan.
Super Bowl odds: +7000
Armed with two top-10 picks, they came away with arguably the draft’s best LB (Arvell Reese) and best offensive lineman (Francis Mauigoa). Then they landed one of the best corners in Round 2 (Colton Hood) and a top-10 WR in Round 3 (Malachi Fields). John Harbaugh’s first draft was great.
Super Bowl odds: +5500
Trading edge rusher Jonathan Greenard hurts their defense, especially their pass rush. But at least they stacked the middle with Florida DT Caleb Banks (6-6, 327) and Iowa State DT Domonique Orange (6-2, 322) in Rounds 1 and 3.
Super Bowl odds: +1600
The Packers said they needed a corner and a nose tackle, and they got both with their picks in Rounds 2 and 3. But CB Brandon Cisse and DT Chris McClellan might be more about depth than immediate impact. They also still need a wideout to replace the two they lost.
South Carolinas Brandon Cisse, udarbejdet af Packers, ser på under 2026 NFL Scouting Combine på Lucas Oil Stadium den 27. februar 2026 i Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Super Bowl odds: +1700
Dan Campbell is all about the trenches, and he got help on both ends with OT Blake Miller (Round 1) and edge rusher Derrick Moore (Round 2). Moore, taking some pressure off Aidan Hutchinson, could really help the Lions’ defence.
Super Bowl odds: +1600
They got an underrated edge rusher (Akheem Mesidor) in Round 1, but what they really needed was O-line help. Florida C Jake Slaughter (Round 2) and Memphis T Travis Burke (Round 4) may need to play a lot right away.
Super Bowl odds: +2200
They used their first-round pick in a high-upside trade for DT Dexter Lawrence, then drafted underrated Texas A&M wing Cashius Howell in Round 2. Add big (6-4) corner Tacario Davis in the third, and the Bengals may finally have a defense that can keep up with their offense.
Super Bowl odds: +1800
They desperately needed Olympic help and took big guards in the first and fourth rounds, including Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge No. 26 overall. They also traded for one of the draft’s top defensive tackles, Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald, in Round 2. The Texans are stronger in the trenches now.
Super Bowl odds: +2500
De havde ikke et valg i første runde og nåede ud til en blokerende tight end, der kun fangede 36 afleveringer på fem år på college (Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher). They have a lot of holes and their offseason has not been good overall.
Super Bowl odds: +1600
Ole Miss’ De’Zhaun Stribling, drafted by the 49ers, competes in the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Super Bowl odds: +2500
They did what they had to in the draft, finding a starting safety (Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman) and offensive line help (Iowa C Logan Jones). Everything else just adds to the depth of a team ready to rise.
Super Bowl odds: +1500
Super Bowl odds: +1000
They traded out of the first round and focused on defense. Clemson’s TJ Parker makes them deep off the edge and Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun solidifies them at CB. Fourth-round OT Jude Bowry could be an immediate starter on their line, and maybe he should be.
Super Bowl odds: +1600
Super Bowl odds: +1000
De ramte alle deres svage punkter og fandt en vejklasser-vagt (Olaivavega Ioane), en edge-rusher til at danne par med Trey Hendrickson (Zion Young) og et par store modtagere til Lamar Jackson (Elijah Sarratt, Ja’Kobi Lane). They are a team that has it all.
Super Bowl odds: +1600
Deres troldmand GM gjorde det igen, da de kom ud af de første to dage af draften med to farlige våben (WR Makai Lemon, TE Eli Stowers til at erstatte den sandsynlige handelsdel AJ Brown) og en enorm O-lineman (6-9, 346-pund Markel Bell), og han byttede for edge-rusheren Jonathan Greenard. They are back.
USC’s Makai Lemon fejrer efter at være blevet valgt som 20. samlet af Philadelphia Eagles under runde 1 af 2026 NFL Draft på Acrisure Stadium den 23. april 2026 i Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Super Bowl odds: +1000
Replacing the Super Bowl MVP (Kenneth Walker) with Notre Dame’s backup RB (Jadarian Price) in the first round is interesting. They also replenished their secondary on Day 2. However, the reigning champions are a team without many holes.
Super Bowl odds: +1800
Hard to argue that the draft helped them as they only had one pick in the first two days. However, they didn’t need much. The offseason addition of WR Jaylen Waddle clearly made them the class of the AFC.
Super Bowl odds: +800
They’re still the most talented team in the NFL, but they could have locked it in by picking a real impact player at No. 13. Instead, they took QB Ty Simpson, who won’t help them until 2027 or 2028. However, this is still the team to beat.
