Every draft class in the NFL has a way of quickly subverting long-held expectations.
All the rankings, projections, and mock drafts that fill the months-long pre-draft process tend to be forgotten as soon as the picks start rolling in. And when this year’s first round began on Thursday, April 23rd in Pittsburgh, it didn’t take long for the pre-draft stories to fizzle out as the order took shape.
Still, some moves left the team’s decision makers open to legitimate speculation.
With the first round complete, here are the five most questionable picks in the 2026 NFL Draft so far.
When rumors first started circulating this week that the Cardinals had their sights set on Love, it seemed like classic pre-draft misdirection.
How could a team that lacks any solutions in front of center or behind center manage to move forward with roster construction and acquire a top-level running back? Arizona has also expressed interest in a trade back, so perhaps the team was simply trying to garner interest in a deal that would put the front office in a better position to land an offensive tackle late in the standings.
There’s no smokescreen here. Now, teams that aren’t that far into the reset are finding themselves acquiring a ball carrier who enters the league as one of the highest-paid players at his position.
On the surface, this is bad business at an event where teams often seek out cost-controlled young talent for top positions.
But considering the Cardinals’ current offensive makeup, the decision becomes even more difficult to make. Yes, Arizona finished 31st in rushing last year and was unable to produce the explosive plays that Love is known for. But just as the Raiders’ woes with Ashton Giunty were compounded last year, a returning rookie has little control over fixing the ground game on his own. Some may tout Love as an all-around “offensive weapon,” but how much value can he add to an offense that’s already running through Trey McBride and bringing in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson? And with Jacoby Brissett set to return as the starting quarterback, running room may be difficult to find.
Good thing Love got over the open field hurdle. Perhaps he will need it.
Being very good at love can make you a productive back. Still, no team in the top 10 may have been in a worse situation to get the most out of him. For an athlete suffering from malnutrition, this felt like a kind of dessert-first move.
When the Rams acquired this pick from the Falcons a year ago, it appeared to be the perfect opportunity for Sean McVay and Les Snead to secure Matthew Stafford’s successor. After that, the quarterback class was pretty much reduced to Fernando Mendoza. And in the process, Los Angeles confirmed its commitment to devoting resources to the reigning NFL MVP’s bid for another Super Bowl appearance.
Nevertheless, the Rams pulled the trigger on a passer many weren’t at all sure would make it past the first round.
In some ways, Simpson is a smart solution for a team that lacked a transition plan beyond center. The Alabama signal-caller has shown the clean footwork you’d expect from a coach’s son, and his lack of experience (15 starts) shouldn’t be much of an issue when he can sit and wait for a year or more.
But the fit here is still odd in many other ways. At 6-1 and 211 pounds with middling arm strength at best, Simpson has the profile of a physically limited offensive starter. Pursuing and accepting Stafford as the team’s triggerman was a direct effort to step outside the box.
Perhaps this will help the Rams avoid the rebuilding phase that many other candidates would have to endure. However, the Rams may feel like they hit a ceiling with Simpson soon after he took over, and the opportunity cost here was significant.
3. DT Caleb Banks, Minnesota Vikings (18th)
Equipping Brian Flores with a 6-6, 327-pound missile outside the line of scrimmage might seem like a surefire way for Minnesota’s defense to increase its chaos quotient. Ultimately, this move could go in the wrong direction.
When healthy and solid, Banks is arguably the most talented and disruptive defensive tackle in this class. He’s a deadweight that keeps any offensive tackle at bay, and he’s agile enough to put himself in position to finish plays in the backfield, rather than just running off course and finishing plays.
Part of the problem: He rarely actually does that, and missed tackles are a common problem. That’s just one aspect of the contradictions that have come to define Banks’ game. Due to his below-average hand usage and leverage, even less athletic opponents can neutralize him without much trouble. And having been sidelined for much of last year with two serious foot injuries, his ability to stay on the field will have a big impact on his professional future.
4. OT Kadin Proctor, Miami Dolphins (No. 12)
Miami’s new system literally hit the ground running with its first pick.
At 6-7, 352 pounds, Proctor is a true mountain blocker. When everything goes really well, he can annihilate opponents with both his run game and aerial attacks.
But this last season revealed what happens when it lapses. Proctor can easily go off-kilter and allow defenders to slip past him. His weight management has also been an issue during his career, with former Alabama coach Nick Saban raising eyebrows when he said before the draft that Proctor was “not really a self-starter.”
New general manager John-Eric Sullivan named left tackle Patrick Paul and center Aaron Brewer as two of the core members of the Dolphins’ rebuild this offseason. He may envision Proctor as a front third, but he’s far from a player reliable enough to earn that kind of recognition right away.
5. DT Peter Woods, Kansas City Chiefs (29th)
Take this as a vote of confidence in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to get the most out of a player who hasn’t quite reached his full potential yet.
Although drawing double teams and operating in an ability that wasn’t always in position to play, Woods showed sporadic signs of promise early in his Clemson career. As such, many have billed him as a potential top-five pick entering the 2025 race. Things then took a turn for the worse as Woods and the rest of the defense failed to make the strides many had expected.
Spagnuolo can double his strength with stunts, allowing him to utilize wood more effectively at the next level. But the Chiefs need a real difference-maker on their defensive line, and they seemed well-positioned to score one with either of their two first-round picks. Woods can’t clear that hurdle because of his short arms and lack of development as a pass rusher.
