NEW YORK \u2014 We won\u2019t truly know who won or lost the first round of the 2026 NFL draft for a few years, but the decisions by a few teams Thursday night certainly stood out.<\/p>\n
After the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall \u2014 a long-expected formality \u2014 the rest of the first round from downtown Pittsburgh was filled with surprises.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Seven teams made multiple first-round picks. There were eight trades. Two players who attended the draft in person were not selected Thursday.<\/p>\n All of that made for compelling drama. But who best maximized their draft capital?<\/p>\n Here are our winners and losers from Round 1:<\/p>\n WinnersDallas Cowboys<\/a><\/p>\n For all of the pre-draft buzz about the Cowboys trading up to take a defensive difference-maker, Dallas managed to land stud safety Caleb Downs<\/a> without paying a premium.<\/p>\n Dallas sent two fifth-round picks to Miami<\/a> in order to move up one spot to No. 11, where it took Downs in what could end up being the draft\u2019s biggest steal.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Nobody questions the talent of Downs, whose IQ and instincts made him a leader on Ohio State\u2019s tenacious defense. He was widely considered a top-five player in this draft.<\/p>\n But Downs was the victim of positional value, as a safety still has not been drafted in the top 10 since 2017.<\/p>\n That was to the benefit of the Cowboys, who now have a new centerpiece on a defense that allowed an NFL-worst 30.1 points per game last season.<\/p>\n Dallas further bolstered its beleaguered defense by taking UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 \u2014 and, in doing so, added two fourth-round picks by trading back three spots with Philadelphia<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n New York Giants<\/a><\/p>\n Time will tell if the Giants regret passing twice on Downs, whom they were frequently linked to.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s no denying the Giants improved Thursday with the additions of versatile Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 and road-grading Miami offensive lineman Frances Mauigoa at No. 10.<\/p>\n The freakishly athletic Reese was a candidate to go as high as No. 2, and nobody \u2014 including the Giants \u2014 expected him to last until No. 5.<\/p>\n So even though the Giants have a surplus of edge rushers, they took Reese, whom some considered the best player in the draft.<\/p>\n Reese has experience playing inside and outside linebacker, and he\u2019ll begin off the ball to complement edges Brian Burns<\/a>, Abdul Carter<\/a> and Kayvon Thibodeaux<\/a>. But expect Reese to move all around the Giants defense \u2014 and for their \u201cNASCAR\u201d pass-rushing package to be a terror on third downs.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Mauigoa, meanwhile, fills a huge void as the missing piece on the offensive line. He is set to start off at right guard but has plenty of experience playing right tackle, where he could end up down the road.<\/p>\n Selecting the 6-6, 329-pound Mauigoa was all about protecting second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready to die for you, man,\u201d Mauigoa said in a message to Dart on the ESPN draft broadcast.<\/p>\n It was a statement first draft for head coach John Harbaugh, who prioritizes physicality as much as anybody.<\/p>\n New York Jets<\/a><\/p>\n Indeed, it was a big night for the New York teams, as the Jets added three players in the first round.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n First, they selected Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey, opting for the more polished product at No. 2 over the higher-upside Reese.<\/p>\n Next, they took pass-catching Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16, adding a mismatch nightmare to their offense.<\/p>\n Then they traded back into the first round to take steady Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30 \u2014 a value pick considering Cooper had been in the mix at No. 16.<\/p>\n Suddenly, the Jets\u2019 long-suffering offense is flush with playmakers, while Bailey is a plug-and-play piece on defense.<\/p>\n All three could be instant starters.<\/p>\n Young QBs<\/p>\n Dart isn\u2019t the only second-year quarterback who stands to benefit from Thursday night\u2019s draft results.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Tennessee Titans<\/a> took dependable Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4, giving quarterback Cam Ward<\/a> a big-bodied weapon.<\/p>\n The New Orleans Saints<\/a> followed a similar approach, selecting explosive Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 8 to build out their Tyler Shough-led offense.<\/p>\n And while there\u2019s no guarantee Shedeur Sanders<\/a> will be the primary quarterback, whoever starts for the Cleveland Browns<\/a> will be better off thanks to Thursday\u2019s additions of Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9 and Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion at No. 24.<\/p>\n LosersArizona Cardinals<\/a><\/p>\n This is no indictment of the uber-talented Jeremiyah Love, as the Notre Dame star is one of the true blue-chip prospects in this draft.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n But the Cardinals have too many holes to be taking a running back at No. 3 overall. In doing so, they passed on Reese and their choice of offensive lineman, either of which would have filled a major need.<\/p>\n It would have been more palatable if the Cardinals could have paired Love with a young quarterback in Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson<\/a>, whom they were often linked to.<\/p>\n But before the Cardinals could even consider trading back into the first round for Simpson, the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> sniped him at No. 13.<\/p>\n Matthew Stafford<\/a><\/p>\n That Rams selection was the biggest stunner of the first round, and not only because of the polarizing nature of Simpson\u2019s prospect stock.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Los Angeles<\/a> is in win-now mode, having advanced to the NFC Championship Game last year. Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, is entering his age-38 season.<\/p>\n But rather than adding an instant-impact player to support their Super Bowl mission, the Rams drafted Stafford\u2019s eventual replacement.<\/p>\n USC wide receiver Makai Lemon and Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. were among the top players still on the board.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of Lemon, the Steelers called the wide receiver Thursday to tell him they planned to draft him at No. 21.<\/p>\n Footage from the green room shows Lemon\u2019s family celebrating as he spoke on the phone with Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n However, confusion unfolded when Lemon received a call from Philadelphia.<\/p>\n As it turned out, the Eagles traded from No. 23 to No. 20 (sending two fourth-rounders to Dallas) and took Lemon before the Steelers could.<\/p>\n Lemon figures to be part of the solution for replacing disgruntled wide receiver A.J. Brown<\/a>, whom the Eagles are expected to trade to New England<\/a> after June 1.<\/p>\n The Steelers pivoted to Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with some egg on their face \u2014 and with the draft in their city, no less.<\/p>\n