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NFL Draft Day: Duds or Studs
NFL Draft Day: Duds or Studs
By Alex Kalkas and Preston Mattox Published May 13 2026
Caption: "NFL 2026 Draft in Pittsburgh from April 23-25, 2026." Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The 2026 NFL Draft set a record, drawing 300,000 viewers from around the globe for the three-day event. We explored the opinions of SCTA freshmen Thomas Wright and Nathan Jerreld on this historic occasion. This year’s draft was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and featured 257 picks across seven rounds. The NFL Draft is a seven-round event in which NCAA college football players are selected by NFL teams. It is held once a year over three days in the second-to-last week of April.
To begin with, SCTA freshman Thomas Wright developed some strong opinions on this year's draft. To start, we asked what he thought was the worst first-round pick, and he responded with “Malachi Lawrence to the Cowboys.” As they traded down, and according to some, lost the trade. He also explained that Malachi Lawrence should have gone higher in the draft. With more teams in need of decent linebackers. Wright said, “The giants because they got a very good linebacker in Arvel Reece,” when asked who had the best overall draft. This makes sense as they filled massive holes, such as linebacker and offensive line, with two top 10 picks in Arvel Reece and Francis Mauigoa.
Caption: For those who don't watch NFL Draft Day, this simple visual serves as a guide to how the event works.
The 2026 NFL Draft also left a strong impression on SCTA freshman Nathan Jerreld. To clear any bias, he made it known he is a Buffalo Bills fan. When asked about the worst pick of the first round, he said, “I would say Jadarian Price because he was the last pick.” Jadarian Price was picked at 32nd by the Seattle Seahawks. Price was a running back from Notre Dame and backed up top 5 pick Jeremiyah Love. One player that Jerreld and I had actually agreed on going to late in the draft was Jordyn Tyson, a WR out of ASU who went to New Orleans at pick 8. For most, Tyson was the best receiver in the draft class, but Carnell Tate was picked ahead of him by Tennessee at 4th overall. He stated that the dolphins had the best draft because “of the amount of picks they had, being able to fill all their needs”. Lastly, he stated that the Tennessee Titans are a dark-horse team to make the playoffs in 2027.
In conclusion, the NFL Draft was a weird draft to say the least, which caught the most eyes they have ever had. Nathan and Thomas certainly thought the draft had gone well. We, Preston Mattox and Alex Kalkas, would like to throw in our own prediction, which is the offensive and defensive rookies of the year. Kalkas believes that the Raiders' first Overall Pick, Fernando Mendoza, will win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Sonny Styles of the Washington Commanders will win Defensive Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year. “I know that is a hot take, but I can see it happening,” he said. Mattox believes that the Titans' Carnell Tate will win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Arvel Reese will win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That's it for this year's NFL Draft Coverage.
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