Landing Spot Instant Reactions From the 2026 NFL Draft: Day 1
Image Credit: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire. Pictured: Makai Lemon.

Kevin Szafraniec gives his instant reactions to the landing spots of the 2026 rookie class and discusses how each player’s new home will affect their fantasy value. 

Leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, I wrote a six-part series detailing what landing on each NFL team could mean for this year’s crop of rookie running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. The criteria that I used to evaluate each team consisted of vacated opportunities and player performance from 2025. As players come off the board in the first round of this year’s draft, I will be analyzing what their new NFL home means for their fantasy value, as well as how their arrivals will affect the fantasy values of the players who will be playing with them.

Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders

1st Overall

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Kevin Szafraniec

Lead Writer and Full-time Cat Dad. Sneakerhead, Record Collector, Beatmaker, Lord of the Rings Superfan, and Jeopardy Enthusiast in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

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