Rams, Cardinals headlines 4 biggest losers from 2026 NFL Draft Round 1

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft has concluded! The draft is always an eventful time for teams, but this year’s draft had a lot of things going on. From surprising picks to trades galore, the first round of the draft saw a lot of action for the teams that were participating.

For now, let’s look at the biggest losers after the first 32 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams became known over the last few years for their, shall we say, nonchalant approach to the first round of the NFL Draft. Their winning strategy over the course of the decade has been to use their first-round picks as trade capital and find some hidden gems in the later rounds. Actually drafting a player in the first round became a rarity for them.

Because of that, fans were eagerly anticipating what the Rams would do with their 13th overall pick this year. Would they draft a wide receiver like Makai Lemon to complement Puka Nacua and Davante Adams? Are they going to draft a tackle like Monroe Freeling to give Matthew Stafford more protection?

The Rams… did none of those things. Instead, they drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with their first-round pick. Simpson is a fine prospect: a solid quarterback with what should be a high floor, especially if his mechanics are fixed. However, he won’t be an immediate starter this season, and he doesn’t offer any immediate value for what is supposedly a win-now team.

Rueben Bain Jr

One of the most surprising draft falls this year was Reuben Bain Jr. Bain shot up the draft boards after his excellent Combine performance a few weeks ago. That, combined with his production in college last season, had many predicting he would be a top-10 pick, at the very least. Some mock drafts even had Bain going in the top-5.

Instead, Bain fell all the way to the 15th pick, where he was swept up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With David Bailey going so high and Arvell Reese sliding slightly as well, many picks who were supposed to go higher were snagged up in the later rounds. Other teams also reached for positional fit over best player available, which made Bain slide even further.

The draft slide has tangible consequences for Bain. The 10th-overall pick (Bain’s Miami teammate Francis Mauigoa) will make $29 million in his rookie contract. That number goes up if you’re drafted higher. As the 15th overall pick, Bain’s contract with the Buccaneers will be around $22 million.

Arizona Cardinals

Some teams have so many needs that they are incentivized to take the best player available. The Arizona Cardinals fall into that category. In the early stages of a rebuild, the Cardinals could have gone a lot of ways in the 2026 NFL Draft with the third overall pick. Players such as Reese, Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, or Sonny Styles were there for the taking for the Cardinals. Conventional draft wisdom says that Arizona should pick either an edge rusher or an offensive tackle.

Instead, the Cardinals went with a flashy pick in Jeremiyah Love. Now, Love is an electric player, one of the best players in the draft, in fact. However, the problem is that running backs are generally reliant on either a strong passing game or an elite offensive line to block for them. Arizona has none of those things. The Cardinals would have been better off building the trenches in the NFL draft, or if they wanted a skill position player, took a wide receiver like Carnell Tate (who went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Whether Aaron Rodgers is returning or not, the Pittsburgh Steelers badly needed to get a wide receiver. Their wide receiver group was underwhelming last year, and they needed to pair DK Metcalf with a better player. Luckily for them, USC WR Makai Lemon was available for them to take at pick number 21. It seemed like the stars finally aligned for them to pick their next great wide receiver.

Instead, their in-state rivals swooped in to steal their desired player. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up ahead of the Steelers and took Lemon for themselves, leaving the Steelers in complete disarray. The Steelers ended up drafting tackle Max Iheanachor to compensate instead, who’s still a fine player who fits their needs. However, one couldn’t help but be a little disappointed in the results of the day.

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