2026 NFL Draft First Round Order

With the Super Bowl in the books, the order of the 2026 NFL Draft is now set. Compensatory picks will be announced at a later date. Those will only impact the order after the second round. Here’s the first round.

2026 NFL Draft First Round Order

1.   Las Vegas Raiders

2.   New York Jets

3.   Arizona Cardinals

4.   Tennessee Titans

5.   New York Giants

6.   Cleveland Browns

7.   Washington Commanders

8.   New Orleans Saints

9.   Kansas City Chiefs

10. Cincinnati Bengals 

11. Miami Dolphins

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons)

14. Baltimore Ravens

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

16. New York Jets (from Colts)

17. Detroit Lions

18. Minnesota Vikings

19. Carolina Panthers

20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)

21. Pittsburgh Steelers 

22. Los Angeles Chargers 

23. Philadelphia Eagles 

24. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)

25. Chicago Bears

26. Buffalo Bills

27. San Francisco 49ers

28. Houston Texans

29. Los Angeles Rams

30. Denver Broncos

31. New England Patriots

32. Seattle Seahawks

Teams with 2 picks:

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Dallas Cowboys

Cleveland Browns

Teams with no picks:

Atlanta Falcons

Indianapolis Colts 

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Potential 2026 Minnesota Vikings Starters

Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks. And especially Sam Darnold. Someone had to win the Super Bowl this year. 

Now on to more important things.

Just for post-Super Bowl giggles, here’s a look at a potential 2026 Minnesota Vikings lineup. Until Harrison Smith makes it official, I have him riding off into his much deserved retirement with a Super Bowl win.

2026 Minnesota Vikings Starters?

Offense

Quarterback 

J.J. McCarthy

Running Back

Jordan Mason

Travis Etienne (free agent)

Fullback

?

C.J. Ham has retired. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings add another fullback or join the teams pushing for the extinction of the position. 

Wide Receiver

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Tight End

T.J. Hockenson

Tackles

Christian Darrisaw

Brian O’Neill

Guards

Donovan Jackson

Will Fries

Center

Jake Slaughter (rookie)

Defense

Defensive Line

Jalen Redmond

Lee Hunter (rookie)

Jonathan Allen

Linebackers

Jonathan Greenard

Blake Cashman

Eric Wilson

Andrew Van Ginkel

Dallas Turner isn’t among the above but he’ll get the snaps of a starter. 

Cornerbacks

Byron Murphy Jr.

Isaiah Rodgers

Mansoor Delane (rookie)

Safeties

Harrison Smith

Joshua Metellus

Kyle Louis (rookie)

Special Teams

Kicker

Will Reichard

Punter

Ryan Wright

Long Snapper

Andrew DePaola

Returner

Myles Price

Flea Flicker Super Bowl Prediction

In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, the Seattle Seahawks play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. The first one was a fun game as Patriots corner Malcolm Butler swiped the game from the Seahawks in the final seconds. Butler’s interception at the goal line with 26 seconds to play was a stunner. Many have moaned over the years that Pete Carroll and his play-callers blew the game by not simply handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch. Actually, Russell Wilson lost it when he forced a pass into a crowd. In the moment, the play-call wasn’t the mistake. The execution was. 26 seconds left in the game, a timeout, second-and-goal from the one, the Seahawks held the keys to the game. Carroll expected the Patriots to call a timeout. Bill Belichick, the coach that should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, let the clock run. It was a surprising decision in the moment and seemed to panic the Seahawks. Still, the situation on the field favored the Seahawks. If Wilson didn’t have his receiver at the snap, throw the ball away. It’s a simple and immediate decision. Wilson failed that moment. Throw the ball away. About 20 seconds left, a timeout, third-and-goal from the one, the Seahawks would’ve still held the keys to the game. The Seahawks mistake at the end of Super Bowl XLIX was the execution, not the play-call. The NFL Films work documenting the Patriots execution of the game’s critical moments is outstanding. From the coaches box to the sidelines, Belichick, the Patriots coaches, and players simply and calmly did their jobs. The Patriots were in control of their situation while the Seahawks looked panicky.

The Patriots have been to a bunch of Super Bowls in the 2000s. The best thing about those appearances is that every one of those games was entertaining. For a football fan without a team in the game, that’s a very good thing. A shitty Super Bowl is a shitty way to end a season. Except for the winning team and their fans, a blowout is a shitty football game. All of those entertaining Patriots Super Bowls included Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. There’s no certainty that it carries over to Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. I’m hoping for an entertaining Super Bowl LX. Here’s a guess at the game. 

Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots

Pick: Patriots

This is tough. From offense to defense to special teams, the Seahawks are the better team. I believe that each defense could overwhelm their opposing offense. This game could become a low-scoring slugfest. Perhaps a defensive or special teams score wins it. If the game plays like that, I’m leaning Patriots. 

All - Time Super Bowl Team

59 Super Bowls bring out some of the best football players to ever play the game. On the eve of Super Bowl LX, here’s a team of those great players. 

All - Time Super Bowl Team

Offense

Quarterback 

Tom Brady, New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Running Back

Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys

Fullback

Larry Csonka, Miami Dolphins

Ends

Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski. New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Tackles

Art Shell, Oakland Raiders

Forrest Gregg, Green Bay Packers

Guards

John Ayers San Francisco 49ers

Larry Little, Miami Dolphins 

Center

Mike Webster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Defense

Defensive Ends

Reggie White, Green Bay Packers

Willie Davis, Green Bay Packers

Defensive Tackles

Alan Page, Minnesota Vikings

Manny Fernandez, Miami Dolphins

Linebackers

Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants

Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers

Jack Ham, Pittsburgh Steelers

Cornerbacks

Mel Blount, Pittsburgh Steelers

Deion Sanders, San Francisco 49ers/Dallas Cowboys

Safeties

Jake Scott, Miami Dolphins

Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers

Special Teams

Kicker

Adam Vinatieri, New England Patriots/Indianapolis Colts

Punter

Ray Guy, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Returner

Desmond Howard, Green Bay Packers

Assuming that Rob Gronkowski makes the Pro Hall of Fame next year and teammate Tom Brady makes it whenever, John Ayers, Jake Scott, Manny Fernandez, and Desmond Howard are the only players on this team without a Canton bust. Ayers was always an underrated player on those great 49ers teams. Scott and Howard were Super Bowl MVPs. Fernandez should’ve received the MVP that went to Larry Csonka. Scott has a Hall of Fame argument that hasn’t been properly argued. 

The coach of this team of Super Bowl greats is an easy choice. 

Bill Belichick

It will forever be astonishing that 11 supposedly astute observers of professional football decided that Bill Belichick isn’t a first ballot Hall of Famer. Belichick is as deserving of the honor as Jerry Rice, Reggie White, and Lawrence Taylor. I hope those 11 dipshits are happy. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

The hardware for the 2025 season was handed out last night at NFL Honors. Congratulations on the winners of the awards. On most occasions, it’s the announcement of the upcoming Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame that holds my interest. This year was no different. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Drew Brees

Larry Fitzgerald

Luke Kuechly

Adam Vinatieri

Roger Craig

If Kevin Williams had managed to make it through the process, this Class would rank with my favorites. Watching Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Kuechly play football was so much fun. They are two of my favorite non-Minnesota Vikings players of any era. With Fitzgerald’s Minnesota roots it feels as if he’s Vikings-adjacent. As the team’s ball boy during Vikings training camps in the late-1990s, Fitzgerald joined Cris Carter and Randy Moss as future Pro Football Hall of Fame receivers on those Mankato practice fields. I’d probably hold Drew Brees in higher esteem if it wasn’t for his bounty-gating New Orleans Saints teams. Despite playing in the long shadow of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Brees was a brilliant, exciting quarterback. There aren’t many in Pro Football Hall of Fame for exclusively special teams. Adam Vinatieri deserves to be one of them. He’s the league’s all-time leading scorer. He has Super Bowl-winning kicks. He’s arguably the best kicker in league history. Despite the position he played, Vinatieri had the sort of career that’s deserving of an early entry into Canton. Finally, Roger Craig finally made it. I suppose that he had a long Hall wait because his career stats don’t rank with the best running back’s in league history. The 1980s San Francisco 49ers were one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history. Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Fred Dean, and Charles Haley are the only players from those teams in Canton. Haley made it for his Dallas days as much as his 49ers days. As great as Montana and Rice were, Craig was often the engine of the offense. He should’ve made it to the Hall of Fame before he his the Senior pool. 

It’s unfortunate that the highlight of this terrific Pro Football Hall of Fame Class is a person not in it. There isn’t a single reason for Bill Belichick to not make it to Canton in his first year of eligibility. He’s more deserving of that honor than Drew Brees or Larry Fitzgerald. It doesn’t even seem possible. Yet, here we are. Part of the reason is an ludicrous voting process. One that that’s seen its last days. It should never have seen any days. The biggest reason Belichick isn’t part of this Class is the 11 idiots that didn’t vote for him. I don’t give a shit about their reasons. They can talk in circles about the reasoning but it’s only ever going to come down to spite. The voters are trusted with honoring the history of pro football. The 11 idiots spit on that trust and punished someone they personally didn’t like. Oh, Belichick is going to get to Canton. That’s what those 11 idiots will say to make themselves feel better, to make them feel like they’re still honoring pro football’s great history. Well, the damage is already done. They’ve taken away the honor of being a first ballot Hall of Famer. It’s what Bill Belichick deserved. It’s what his career deserved. Poof. Gone.

It sure would’ve been nice to see Kevin Williams and especially Bill Belichick round out this Class. As it stands, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a great, fun Class. Congratulations to the five new Pro Football Hall of Famers. See you in Canton in August. 

Ranking The 59 Super Bowls

In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots have emerged as the participants in Super Bowl LX. The first one was a pretty good game. Hopefully, this rematch is a pretty good game. The following is a ranking of the fifty-nine Super Bowls. Hopefully, Super LV finds a high spot in next year’s ranking. 

59. Super Bowl IV-Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7

58. Super Bowl VIII-Miami Dolphins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7

57. Super Bowl IX-Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6

56. Super Bowl XI-Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14

55. Super Bowl XXIV-San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10

54. Super Bowl XLVIII-Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8

53. Super Bowl XX-Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10

52. Super Bowl XXXV-Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7

51. Super Bowl XXIX-San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26

50. Super Bowl XXXVII-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21

49. Super Bowl XXII-Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10

48. Super Bowl XXVII-Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17

47. Super Bowl XII-Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10

46. Super Bowl XXXIII Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19

45. Super Bowl XVIII Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9

44. Super Bowl XXVI-Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24

43. Super Bowl XV-Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10

42. Super Bowl I-Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10

41. Super Bowl VI-Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3

40. Super Bowl XL-Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10

39. Super Bowl XLI-Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17

38. Super Bowl II-Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14

37. Super Bowl XIX-San Francisco 49ers, 38, Miami Dolphins 16

36. Super Bowl V-Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13

35. Super Bowl VII-Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7

34. Super Bowl XXVIII-Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13

33. Super Bowl XXI-New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20

32. Super Bowl XLIX-Philadelphia Eagles 40, Kansas City Chiefs 22

31. Super Bowl LV-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Kansas City Chiefs 9
30. Super Bowl XXXI-Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21

29. Super Bowl XXX-Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
28. Super Bowl L-Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
27. Super Bowl XVII-Washington Redskins 27, Miami Dolphins 17

26. Super Bowl XLIV-New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
25. Super Bowl LIII-New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3
24. Super Bowl XXXIX-New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21

23. Super Bowl XLV-Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25

22. Super Bowl XLVI-New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17

21. Super Bowl XXXII-Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24

20. Super Bowl III-New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7

19. Super Bowl XLVII-Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
18. Super Bowl XXXIV-St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16

17. Super Bowl XXXVI-New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17

16. Super Bowl XIV-Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19

15. Super Bowl LIV-Kansas City Chiefs 31, San Francisco 49ers 20

14. Super Bowl XVI-San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21

13. Super Bowl LVI-Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20

12. Super Bowl LII-Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33

11. Super Bowl LVII-Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35
10. Super Bowl X-Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17

  9. Super Bowl XXIII-San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16

  8. Super Bowl LVIII-Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22

  7. Super Bowl XXV-New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19

  6. Super Bowl XXXVIII-New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29

  5. Super Bowl XLII-New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

  4. Super Bowl LI-New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28
  3. Super Bowl XLIX-New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
  2. Super Bowl XLIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23

  1. Super Bowl XIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31

Minnesota Vikings General Manager Candidates

After the surprising firing of Kwesi Adofo-Menash hit the books, attention turned to who will be the next general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a bit early as team ownership said that the decision won’t be made until after the 2026 NFL Draft. Between now and then, Rob Brzezinski will oversee the personnel department. His title is Executive Vice President - Football Operations. His primary responsibility is the salary cap and negotiating contracts. He’s been with the Vikings since 1999 and has become one of the most respected and valued executives. As the interim general manager, I see his role as a unifier and a tie-breaker, if need be. I also see this new role as very much temporary. 

Many talking heads and fans have latched on to Rob Brzezinski as a serious candidate for the Vikings permanent GM job. Mark Wilf perhaps pushed those thoughts when he said that Brzezinski would be considered. I don’t see it. If Brzezinski truly wanted the Vikings general manager job, we would’ve heard about it by now. He’s been with the team since 1999. He probably would’ve been considered when Rick Spielman got the job. He definitely would’ve been considered when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got the job. I believe that Brzezinski knows his strengths and where he’s needed. His strengths are with the salary cap and he’s very much needed there. He’s been brilliant. I don’t see him as the Vikings next general manager. 

If Rob Brzezinski is #1 on the candidate list of talking heads and fans, current Denver Broncos general manager George Paton is #2. It’s a fairly lazy take as Paton left the Vikings to take the top personnel job with the Broncos. So, just because he has a past with the Vikings means that he’s returning despite being under contract with the Broncos. If current GMs are candidates, why not Howie Roseman or John Schneider or Eric DeCosta? The only way the Vikings can add Paton is by giving draft picks for him. There’s no way that’s happening.

Who are “legitimate” candidates to be the Vikings next general manager? I’m certain of one thing. Vikings next general manager will not be an “analytics guy.” The next Vikings general manager will come with a history, hopefully long history, of scouting and personnel experience. Here are some of my favorite potential candidates.

Chad Alexander - Chargers Assistant General Manager 

John McKay - Rams Assistant General Manager 

Mike Bradway - Chiefs Assistant General Manager 

Will McClay - Cowboys VP of Player Personnel 

George Kokinis - Ravens VP of Player Personnel 

Ed Dobbs - Colts Assistant General Manager 

Terrance Gray - Bills Assistant General Manager 

Andy Weidl - Steelers Assistant General Manager 

Ray Agnew - Lions Assistant General Manager 

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis directed me to several more intriguing candidates:

Ryan Cowden - Patriots VP of Player Personnel 

Jeff King - Bears Senior Director of Player Personnel

Reed Burckhardt - Broncos Assistant General Manager 

Trey Brown - Bengals Assistant General Manager 

Trent Kirchner - Seahawks VP of Player Personnel 

Matt Berry - Seahawks VP of Player Acquisition

VP of Player Acquisition! Come on! What kind of title is that?

Anyway, that’s 15 candidates. That feels like a lot. The list in front of the Wilfs is probably longer. If I have to narrow the 15 to five, my top five, right now, probably looks like this.

Chad Alexander

Ed Dobbs

Ryan Cowden

Trey Brown

Trent Kirchner

In the rivalry of scouting vs analytics, I’ve always been, and always be, with the scouting side. I appreciate the inclusion of analytics into the process but I’ll never understand “scouting” from a spreadsheet. I look forward to the Vikings return to a “scouting” GM. I narrowed the candidate list to the above five for their scouting experience, the drafting of the teams that employed them, and a general feel or hunch. 

I know that the right general manager for the Vikings is out there. I hope they find that general manager.