3 worst picks in round 1 of 2026 NFL Draft
Regardless of what we think about the 32 players who were selected in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday, they are all pretty talented. Were they the best 32 players available? No, that’s something I can’t commit to, and I’m not sure there would be any disagreement either.
In evaluating the first round, we have the benefit of hindsight after seeing how the entire board transpired. There are multiple factors to consider, but here are the three picks that stood out to me as being the worst. MORE: 3 best picks in first round of 2026 NFL Draft Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Carnell Tate is selected by the Tennessee Titans as the number four pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images After committing to Cam Ward last season, it’s only reasonable that the Titans get him a weapon. You can make the argument, and likely with minimal disagreement, that Tate was the best receiver available. Yes, he did benefit from playing alongside Jeremiah Smith last season, but we can’t argue with the results and talent.
My issue is that the Titans need a lot more than just a receiver. They passed on some legitimate impact players on the defensive side of the ball, but they also could have traded down and accumulated additional draft picks. Whether it was Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, or Omar Cooper, there was receiver depth later in the first round.
Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams Take your pick on the issue here. Simpson only has 15 games as a starting quarterback in college under his belt. He benefited from playing at Alabama, and he didn’t consistently stand out last season.