Ranking the five best 2026 NFL Draft classes after Week 1: Chiefs rookies shine brightest

These five teams' rookies produced the most during Week 1 of the NFL season

Sep 16, 2026 at 8:26 am ET • 4 min read

They say you can't evaluate a draft class until after three seasons. Unfortunately, it's 2026, and no one has that much patience anymore, so how about we do it after one week? As always, the caveat is: this is one game. This is not the end-all, be-all. But with most things, it's better to look good early on than bad.

These are the top-five draft classes after the first week of the season.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Highlight: Peter Woods rare athleticism
Lowlight: Mansoor Delane's shoulder injury

There were whispers about Brett Veach having another masterclass draft last April, and they've now turned into roars. Peter Woods was already making special plays as a pass-rusher and in the run game. He also chased down a running back from behind on a flat route. His addition will allow Steve Spagnuolo to be more measured with how many snaps they give to 32-year-old Chris Jones going forward.

Top-10 corner Mansoor Delane unfortunately left the game after three snaps with a shoulder injury, but the injury occurred on a play where he ran a dig route for Courtland Sutton and picked off a pass.

Then there was second-round edge rusher R Mason Thomas, who had a crucial sack in a two-minute drill before the half, where he teleported underneath Mike McGlinchey with a spin move.

Oh, and then Day 3 running back Emmett Johnson made as many people miss on two catches Monday night (six) as Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt on 37 combined catches last season. It's hard to swing and hit harder than the Chiefs did with their first three picks, at least in Monday night's win.

2. Cleveland Browns

Highlight: Austin Barber locking down right guard
Lowlight: KC Concepcion's ball security

Lost in the ugliness of the Browns quarterback position was the fact that the Browns look like they've clocked yet another impressive draft haul. The Browns have four starters on offense from the 2026 draft class in Spencer Fano, Austin Barber, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston, with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren filling in for 14 snaps defensively. While they weren't as obviously slam dunks as the Chiefs, there were big-time flashes for all of the offensive starters.

Concepcion, in particular, already looks like the Browns' best playmaker. His ability to separate was on full display.

While he didn't have any drops that he was known for in college, Concepcion did have an ugly fumble, which was also a problem for him in school, with four fumbles on 185 career receptions.

The most surprising standout was third-rounder Barber. A career tackle at Florida, Barber kicked inside and flipped to the right side for the Browns. He was incredibly clean for a rookie in his first career start. PFF had him as the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman of the week. While there were more concerns on tape than that grade may suggest, Barber looked like he'll be a long-term starter at the position for Cleveland.

3. Baltimore Ravens

Highlight: Vega Ioane's run game dominance
Lowlight: Zion Young's 12 forgettable snaps

The Ravens are the only team on this list that didn't have multiple first-rounders. That didn't stop them from getting a big impact from their rookie class, however. The big reason why is first-rounder Vega Ioane. He was the single best rookie I saw on tape in Week 1. He was dominant in the run game at right guard against the Colts, and while there was a trio of reps he'd want back in pass protection, there were others where he paved the way for Lamar Jackson's scrambles. Considering the state of the Ravens' right guard position a year ago, this draft pick could not have had better early returns.

The Ravens also got meaningful contributions from third-round receiver Ja'Kobi Lane and fourth-round tight end Matthew Hibner, who played 27 and 23 snaps, respectively. Hibner looked like a very capable TE2, while Lane looked like he'll be a red zone favorite for Lamar Jackson. Lane saw three targets inside the opposing 20-yard line, with one touchdown called back by a penalty.

4. Miami Dolphins

Highlight: Most rookie starters in the NFL
Lowlight: Most rookie starters shouldn't have been starting

No team in the NFL hit reset harder this season than the Miami Dolphins. All told, they had 368 of a possible 1,353 snaps Sunday (27.2%) come from rookies - the most in the NFL. Given that, they have every reason to be elated about what they saw Sunday. Kadyn Proctor was the biggest standout with some truly elite reps in the run game. His power for a 21-year-old is special and translated vs. grown men.

While I think Dolphins' other first-rounder Chris Johnson will be a fine player in time, he had an up-and-down Week 1 with a couple of pass breakups, but a couple of big plays as well. I felt similarly about second-round linebacker Jacob Rodriguez as well. While he struggled to get off the blocks consistently, you saw the play speed flash in space on numerous occasions.

The final rookie worth a mention was third-round receiver Caleb Douglas, who led all rookies with five catches for 94 yards Sunday. In a very underpowered receiving room, Douglas played with a comfort level well beyond that of a rookie.

5. New York Giants

Highlight: Francis Mauigoa's stout pass pro
Lowlight: Colton Hood only sees six snaps

Giants fans may see this as a slight, but to me, they check in fifth because I'd expect the only team with two top-10 picks to get an impact out of its rookie class. Arvell Reese was an obvious upgrade for their run defense, while Francis Mauigoa solidified their right guard spot.

There were reps from both, where you saw the high-end talent, but both looked like rookies at times, too.

The cherry on top of this draft class is third-rounder Malachi Fields, who's already playing a very important role for Matt Nagy's offense. That is doing the dirty work. Fields looks like he'll be a value add in the run game with his ability to dig out box defenders from reduced splits.