2026 NFL Draft: Winners, Losers from Round 1 including the Cowboys, NY Giants and Seahawks

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft has drawn to a close, with the top 32 picks delivering a few surprises and a handful of trades. While the true outcomes for these teams and players won’t come for years, it’s always fun to have some rapid reactions. Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Winner: New York Giants Kirby Lee-Imagn Images There’s very little chance the New York Giants saw the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft unfolding like this. Many seemed to view All-American linebacker Arvel Reese as the second-best player in the class. If he didn’t get taken second overall, then he would not make it outside the top four.

When they were on the clock with the fifth overall pick, New York wasted little time in turning the card in. What they’ve landed is an edge rusher with an even higher ceiling than Abdul Carter, and he’s far more well-rounded. New York has built a pass-rushing trio of Carter, Reese, and Brian Burns that can absolutely wreak havoc in Dennard Wilson’s system.

Once that addition was made, the Giants’ focus turned to helping out Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. There’s slight medical risk with Francis Mauigoa, but he’s arguably the best offensive lineman in the 2026 NFL Draft. New York has the option of kicking him inside to guard, where he could be a phenomenal starter.