After months of mock drafts and predicting where NFL prospects would be selected, the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders, as expected, but there were plenty of surprises over the ensuing 256 picks. Some players, such as quarterback Ty Simpson, went earlier than projected, while others tumbled down the board.
Ranking prospects is a subjective exercise, but one way to navigate the inexact science is the consensus big board. The Athletic’s consensus big board compiles prospect rankings from 10 of the industry’s top analysts and organizations, including Pro Football Focus, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, Yahoo’s Nate Tice and our own duo of Dane Brugler and Nick Baumgardner.
This year, there were just two consensus board darlings — players who were selected in the exact spot they were ranked on the big board — and both were selected by the Minnesota Vikings. Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday was taken at No. 51 and Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange was selected at No. 82.
Let’s take a look at some of the best value selections and some of the biggest reaches from this year’s draft. Although we will use the consensus board as our guide, there is more nuance applied than just the difference between a player’s ranking on the board relative to his draft slot. A 10-spot fall for a first-round pick may hold greater value than a 40-spot fall for a player late on Day 3.
Additionally, reaches are much more common — and less consequential — on Day 3 of the draft, as many teams start taking swings at players for various reasons, including not having to compete for the player in the undrafted free-agent market following the draft. For example, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Stanford wide receiver CJ Williams at No. 203. Williams was the No. 82-ranked wide receiver in “The Beast” and was outside of the top 500 on most consensus boards, but the fact he was selected in the back half of the sixth round is why he’s not listed below as one of the biggest reaches of the draft, even though he is mathematically.
With those caveats in mind, let’s dive in.
Best valuesCaleb Downs, S, Dallas Cowboys
Consensus board ranking: No. 6
Draft selection: No. 11
Of the top 15 players selected, Downs was the only one drafted lower than where any of the 10 draft experts had him ranked. Half of the panel had him in the top five, and his lowest big board ranking was No. 10. Positional value may have played a role in Downs’ falling, but he was widely regarded as one of the best prospects in this draft. The Cowboys were originally slotted to pick at No. 12 but moved up one spot to make sure they got Downs at No. 11.
Rueben Bain Jr., edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Consensus board ranking: No. 8
Draft selection: No. 15
Whether it was the short arms or some of the off-field situations that came to light recently, Bain had to wait to hear his named called. Bain was ranked in the top 10 by eight of the 10 draft experts. He was viewed as one of the few elite defensive players in this draft, along with Downs, Mansoor Delane, David Bailey, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Bain was the last of that group to be selected.
Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns
Consensus board ranking: No. 20
Draft selection: No. 39
Carnell Tate was viewed as the top wide receiver, which is where he went. After that, there was a bit of a cluster. Makai Lemon was No. 14 on the consensus board, Jordyn Tyson was No. 15, Boston was No. 20, Omar Cooper Jr. was No. 24, and KC Concepcion was No. 26. Boston was the only one not to go in the first round.
Avieon Terrell, CB, Atlanta Falcons
Consensus board ranking: No. 31
Draft selection: No. 48
The cornerback crop this year was heavy in the second layer behind Delane. Chris Johnson, who was ranked two spots behind Terrell on the consensus board, went at No. 27 as the only other first-round cornerback. After back-to-back selections of cornerbacks at No. 37 and No. 38, there was a bit of a lull at the position. The Falcons pounced at just the right time at No. 48, as it was the start of three cornerbacks going in the span of five picks. Terrell was the highest-ranked of the bunch.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Cleveland Browns
Consensus board ranking: No. 22
Draft selection: No. 58
Similar to Downs, McNeil-Warren’s fall could be attributed to how the league views the safety position. The Browns were wise to snag McNeil-Warren at No. 58 because fewer than 10 picks later, the Seattle Seahawks addressed the position by taking Bud Clark. After Downs, the safety ranking was close between McNeil-Warren and Dillon Thieneman. The Chicago Bears took Thieneman at No. 25, so for the Browns to be able to get a player who was viewed similarly 33 picks later is excellent value.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
Consensus board ranking: No. 18
Draft selection: No. 101
The talent is what had McCoy as one of the best cornerbacks in this draft class, but the medicals made him tumble all the way to Day 3. It’s quite simple for the Raiders: If McCoy’s right knee holds up, this pick has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Of course, there’s no guarantee of that, which is why McCoy was available Saturday.
Keionte Scott, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Consensus board ranking: No. 58
Draft selection: No. 116
Aside from McCoy, who carries serious injury concerns, Scott was the only player in the top 60 of the consensus board to fall to Day 3. Scott was the No. 4-ranked safety in this year’s draft but was the eighth safety selected.
Connor Lew, C, Cincinnati Bengals
Consensus board ranking: No. 87
Draft selection: No. 128
Lew possesses everything a team would look for when drafting a player. He has ample experience, starting 25 games and serving as a team captain while being only 20 years old. Center is not a highly valued position, which is why the No. 87 player on the consensus board was available for the Bengals at No. 128.
Kyle Louis, LB, Miami Dolphins
Consensus board ranking: No. 64
Draft selection: No. 138
Louis was the No. 6 linebacker on the consensus board but was the 12th to be taken. Louis’ style of play made him a bit of a wild card in terms of scheme fit, but the Dolphins may be the perfect situation for Louis to flourish. Miami drafted another linebacker, Jacob Rodriguez, in the second round, and the organization is in an open rebuild with a new coaching staff.
Keith Abney II, CB, Detroit Lions
Consensus board ranking: No. 73
Draft selection: No. 157
One of the stranger falls on the boards, Abney was viewed by many as a probable Day 2 pick. Abney was the No. 9 cornerback on the consensus board but was the 18th selected. The fact he slid all the way to the fifth round gave the Lions a steal.
Reaches
Ty Simpson was expected to be the second quarterback drafted, but going 13th to a team with an MVP at QB was a surprise and a reach. (Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Consensus board ranking: No. 36
Draft selection: No. 13
Simpson was one of the stranger picks of this year’s draft, and the post-pick demeanor of Rams head coach Sean McVay only added fuel to the fire. Simpson was viewed as the clear-cut No. 2 quarterback, so position-wise, it wasn’t shocking where he went. It just wasn’t expected that he’d go in the top 15, not to mention to the team with the reigning league MVP at the position, no matter what Matthew Stafford’s age is.
Caleb Banks, DT, Minnesota Vikings
Consensus board ranking: No. 43
Draft selection: No. 18
The Vikings generally hovered around the consensus board, but their first pick was a major leap of faith. Banks was the first defensive tackle drafted despite being ranked No. 3 at the position. Minnesota took him in the top 20 despite his consensus grade being that of a second- or third-rounder.
Keylan Rutledge, G, Houston Texans
Consensus board ranking: No. 53
Draft selection: No. 26
The Texans needed to address the offensive line, but the first round felt a bit rich for Rutledge, who was the second guard taken despite being ranked No. 4 at his position. Rutledge provides some positional flexibility and has an enticing offensive line demeanor, which may have played in his favor.
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Consensus board ranking: No. 71
Draft selection: No. 33
The 49ers opened Day 2 with a surprising pick, taking Stribling even though there were much higher-rated consensus board receivers available, including Boston. Stribling was the 13th wide receiver on the consensus board, but the 49ers made him the sixth player taken at his position. The team explained why they are content with Stribling and the traits that he brings to the table.
Zavion Thomas, WR, Chicago Bears
Consensus board ranking: No. 213
Draft selection: No. 89
From a consensus board standpoint, this was the biggest reach on Day 1 or Day 2, with a 124-slot difference from the board to the draft slot. Thomas was ranked as a deep Day 3 player, but the Bears took him in the third round. Similar to Stribling with the 49ers, the Bears were clearly looking for a specific type of wide receiver for Ben Johnson’s system and felt comfortable with Thomas, who was ranked as the No. 32 receiver but was the 16th taken.
Marlin Klein, TE, Houston Texans
Consensus board ranking: No. 133
Draft selection: No. 59
This draft was considered to be deep at tight end, but Klein was expected to go much lower than he did. When the Texans picked Klein, every tight end ranked in the top 10 except for Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers was available. Houston instead went with the No. 9 guy at the position.
Nate Boerkircher, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Consensus board ranking: No. 156
Draft selection: No. 56
The Jaguars don’t shy away from sticking to their board. Boerkircher was the 12th tight end on the consensus board, but the Jaguars made him the third at his position selected, 100 slots above his board ranking. The Jaguars also selected Texas A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis, who was No. 129 on the consensus board, at No. 81. They did get a consensus board value pick when they took Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon, ranked No. 42, at No. 88.
Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins
Consensus board ranking: No. 183
Draft selection: No. 75
The Dolphins were in the market for a wide receiver after trading away Jaylen Waddle. They apparently loved Douglas, who was the No. 29-ranked wide receiver on the consensus board but went a whopping 18 spots ahead at his position as the No. 11 receiver.
Carson Beck, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Consensus board ranking: No. 97
Draft selection: No. 65
In some ways, Beck was a reach but one of the more understandable ones on this list. Beck was the No. 4 quarterback on the consensus board and the third taken. Given how weak this draft was at the position, a team needing a quarterback was bound to throw a dart on Day 2. The lack of talent at the position made it hard to know how long would be safe enough to wait.
Tyler Onyedim, DT, Denver Broncos
Consensus board ranking: No. 120
Draft selection: No. 66
Texas A&M defensive tackles were sold well to NFL teams. As mentioned, the Jaguars took Regis far above where he was projected. Regis’ teammate, Onyedim, was the first Aggies defensive tackle to be drafted. He was ranked No. 10 at the position but was the sixth defensive tackle taken.