2026 NFL Draft Biggest Winners & Losers From Round 1
As the opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft comes to a close, the league officially turns the page with 32 new rookies stepping into the spotlight and reshaping the future across the board. Round 1 delivered no shortage of drama, from aggressive trade-ups to unexpected selections that lit up social media. More importantly, it offered an early glimpse into how teams are approaching the rest of draft weekend.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from a chaotic first round. MORE: Buccaneers legend Gerald McCoy predicts Rueben Bain selection Winners Dallas Cowboys Somehow, the Cowboys were able to not only make multiple beneficial trades on draft day but also land one of the top available talents without even being in the top ten. Moving up just one spot to land Caleb Downs at No.
11, Dallas sent picks No. 12, 177, and 180 to Miami to make it happen. A considerable bargain for Miami, but when weighing the cost against the upside of a player of Downs’ caliber at No.
11, the gamble feels justified, especially when you consider he was mocked as a top ten selection. Dallas recouped some of that lost draft capital by flipping pick No. 20 to Philadelphia, sliding back to No.
23 while picking up selections at Nos. 114 and 137. Even with the move down, the Cowboys stayed in control of the board and capitalized by landing UCF’s Malachi Lawrence, who was arguably the top EDGE still available at that point.