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The 2026 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, with all 32 teams preparing for the upcoming season. Rookies are meeting new teammates, learning playbooks, and adjusting to the NFL level. Which rookies on the offensive side of the ball are early front-runners to be instant contributors? Winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is something players only get one chance of doing. There are several viable candidates this season, but who stands out from the pack? Given that the award has only been won by quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen face an uphill battle. Who are the early 2026 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates? Early Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidates in 2026 1. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals Arizona’s selection of Jeremiyah Love with the third-overall pick drew mixed reactions. Regardless of the debate over whether using a premium pick on a running back is worth it, Love will be a focal point in the Cardinals’ offense. Love is a blue-chip talent, as he uses elite power, vision, and acceleration as a runner. He is also a capable pass catcher out of the backfield, being able to attack defenses in a variety of ways. The biggest question regarding his production in 2026 is Arizona’s offensive line. While it made improvements this offseason, will the unit give Love clear rushing lanes to work with? Ashton Jeanty was limited in 2025 due to poor offensive line play. With this class being thin at quarterback, Love is the best among early offensive rookie of the year candidates. 2. Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks Love’s college teammate was also picked in the first round and is going to an ideal situation to succeed early. Jadarian Price has game-breaking speed and the burst to reach that top-end speed quickly.  He can also fight for yards after contact and possesses an excellent combination of vision and agility to make defenders miss. With Kenneth Walker III off to Kansas City and Zach Charbonnet suffering a torn ACL in the playoffs, Price is in line to be the lead back for Seattle. It’s uncertain when Charbonnet will return, so Price has the opportunity to be RB1 for a contender. Of all the top offensive rookie of the year candidates, he is the only one on a playoff team from 2025. Although being on a good team isn’t a prerequisite for rookie of the year, the way it is for MVP, it certainly helps. Price was the second-best running back in this class, and teams don’t spend first-round picks at the position unless they’re expected to be the primary option in the backfield. 3. Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans The Titans won just three games in 2024 and 2025, respectively, largely due to a lack of pass catchers. After signing Wan’Dale Robinson and drafting Carnell Tate with the fourth pick, Tennessee has promise at wide receiver for the first time in a while. Tate is yet another premier talent at the position out of Ohio State, and looks to have a major role in the Titans’ offense. He has reliable hands and impressive play strength to win contested-catch situations. His football IQ is evident against zone coverage, and he’s a dangerous threat over the middle. While it’s debatable whether Tate is the best receiver in this class, he has the best chance to be WR1 as a rookie. Offensive rookie of the year candidates are based on situation just as much as talent. Tate has both, but there are some factors that go into his chances. Cam Ward’s progression in year two is key; how he performs directly affects Tate’s production. Another factor is who Ward’s favorite new target will be: Tate or Robinson? Although there is some uncertainty, Tate has a strong chance of emerging as a rookie.   4. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders Among all the premier offensive rookie of the year candidates, the only signal-caller is Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy winner racked up 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions en route to an undefeated season. He is the only rookie quarterback expected to see significant action in 2026. Quarterbacks have a built-in advantage compared to other positions, as great rookie seasons from a quarterback have beaten out elite rookie campaigns from other positions in rookie of the year voting. Justin Herbert won comfortably over Justin Jefferson in 2020, and Jayden Daniels beat Brock Bowers convincingly for the award in 2024. Speaking of Bowers, he will be Mendoza’s top target, giving the rookie quarterback a dominant weapon to work with. While quarterbacks are usually prime offensive rookie of the year candidates, an important factor is limiting Mendoza’s hopes. That being the possibility of him not starting Week 1. While he should see plenty of action in 2026, there’s a good chance that Kirk Cousins is starting for Las Vegas for a portion of the season. If Cousins, in fact, lines up under center for the Raiders to start the season, Mendoza’s rookie of the year hopes take a massive hit. While other offensive rookie of the year candidates are set to be day-one starters, it’s uncertain whether the first-overall pick will be. 5. Jordyn Tyson WR, New Orleans Saints Many believe that Jordyn Tyson is the best receiver coming out of the 2026 class. Tyson is a threat on all three levels and is incredible after the catch. He’s a smooth route runner who creates separation at the top of routes. His skill set allows him to be productive as both a boundary and slot receiver. Tyson has tremendous upside, and if he stays healthy, he can easily be the best rookie in all of football. His injury history is a concern, however, as it remains to be seen how he holds up over a 17-game season at the next level. Tyson’s numbers may also be limited by the Saints already having an established WR1 in Chris Olave. Whereas Tate can easily be his team’s top target in 2026, Tyson has a tougher road to doing so. If Tyson can stay healthy and get his share of targets, there’s no reason to believe he can’t leave his rookie season with some hardware.                

The Las Vegas Raiders have their quarterback of the future in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, but they must still figure out who their quarterback of the present will be. While Mendoza will eventually earn the keys to the kingdom, he may not start the season under center. After all, the team signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a respectable contract that heavily suggests they’re comfortable with him starting in 2025, at least early in the season. While anything can happen between now and the start of the regular season, The Athletic‘s Matt Sando believes Kirk Cousins will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback. In a recent article, Sando relays a comment from an anonymous executive who said “All indications are [the Raiders] are going to make Mendoza sit.” Kirk Cousins Expected to Win Raiders Quarterback Job; Fernando Mendoza to Sit This report shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as Kirk Cousins is one of the better bridge quarterbacks out there and wouldn’t have signed with the Raiders if he didn’t have a realistic chance to play. Cousins tore his Achilles in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings, signed with the Atlanta Falcons, and quickly lost the starting job to 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix. While he began the 2025 season on the bench, Cousins ultimately made eight starts for the Falcons after Penix tore his ACL. The veteran played reasonably well in the back half of the season, completing 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 76.0 PFF grade, the 16th-best mark in the league. Kirk Cousins is not the quarterback he once was, but he’s still a top-32 passer and is more than capable of keeping this ship afloat while Fernando Mendoza adjusts to the NFL game. The Raiders won’t win a Super Bowl with Cousins under center, but they probably couldn’t do that even if they had an elite quarterback. This roster has quite a few holes, and head coach Klint Kubiak is in the early stages of rebuilding this team in his image. At this stage in the rebuild, it’s best for Cousins to start, so long as he can keep the team somewhat competitive. Best-Laid Plans Of course, there is a long time between now and the start of the regular season. While the Raiders might want Kirk Cousins to be their starting quarterback, Mendoza could win the job with a strong training camp. Teams don’t keep rookie quarterbacks on the bench as much as they used to, as guys like Caleb Williams and Cam Ward had no real competition for the starting job when drafted. The closest recent comparison is New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who began his career behind veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett. Former head coach Jerod Mayo made it clear that Brissett would start while Maye adjusted to the league. This plan lasted all of four games, as Maye clearly outplayed the veteran in the preseason and eventually became too good to keep on the bench. History could repeat itself here, as Mendoza has the talent to outplay Cousins throughout the offseason and give the Raiders no choice but to make a switch at the quarterback position.

Ranking the AFC West from bottom to top The AFC West no longer has an obvious winner every season. For years, the Kansas City Chiefs dominated the division, and it was never even close. Now, the Chiefs’ dynasty is beginning to fade, as evidenced by the team missing the playoffs last year. Now you have four teams on vastly different timelines who all have a realistic shot of winning the division. Let’s rank the AFC West the only way that makes sense. Bottom to top. 4. Las Vegas Raiders Could they end up somewhere other than the bottom? Stranger things have happened. The Raiders are finally starting to look like a team with direction instead of a team throwing darts in the dark. No.1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will hold his own, make some plays, take some lumps, and give the Raiders something to build on. But he will not set the world on fire. This roster still feels like it is missing a few too many pieces. They will be competitive, but they are not good enough yet. 3. Kansas City Chiefs This one will spark some controversy. The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes, which means they are never completely out of it. But everything around him does not feel the same. Last year, it seemed like defenses were able to figure him out. And then there’s Travis Kelce. Nobody loses the battle to “Father Time.” Kelce is still a productive and reliable tight end, but he is not the contributor that he once was. The connection between him and Mahomes is no longer a guarantee, and that hurts the offense. Will they stack up wins? Of course. They may even finish with a better record than last year. But the AFC West will be too competitive, and they will narrowly miss the playoffs. 2. Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos won the division last year, and somehow it still felt a little off. We all watched it happen, but it was like they came out of left field. Like everything broke exactly right at the perfect time. Bo Nix is the variable that stands out. He showed enough to get people excited, but the ankle injury still lingers in the background. Quarterbacks coming off that kind of issue may be medically cleared, but do not always produce to the level they were before. The concern is if he sees a regression. The Broncos are still a good team, too solid to completely fall apart. They will creep into the playoffs but will be the victim of a quick exit. 1. Los Angeles Chargers This is the pick that would have gotten laughed at not too long ago. The Chargers are hungry to advance in the postseason. And more importantly, they have the guy to make it happen in Justin Herbert. Jim Harbaugh’s system will finally settle in. Herbert will put up big numbers and be the guy everyone expected him to be when he was drafted. The roster around him is better, and the coaching staff is better with the addition of Mike McDaniel. They are not just winning the division. They are getting Herbert his first playoff win, too. The AFC West finally feels up for grabs Ranking the AFC West is no longer as easy as it used to be. This division is not about one team anymore. It is about timing. The Raiders are early. The Chiefs are slipping. The Broncos are trying to hold on. And the Chargers? They might have picked the perfect moment to finally take it. And if that is the case, the rest of the AFC West is about to spend the season playing catch-up.

The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, with 32 teams introducing a new class of rookies. This year’s draft featured several surprising selections, with many prospects hearing their names called much sooner than expected. While there were certainly some perplexing picks, there were also some excellent picks. Because there were many reaches, many teams got talented players at great value. While there are plenty of strong draft classes this year, a handful stood out from the pack. Which five teams had the best 2026 NFL Draft, and how do their selections improve the roster? 2026 NFL Draft Winners Las Vegas Raiders The Raiders got the one true franchise quarterback in this class after taking Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. The Mendoza pick in itself is enough for this class to be a win. However, Las Vegas didn’t stop there. It also addressed its secondary by adding two cornerbacks. The Raiders selected Treydan Stukes in the second round and arguably the biggest steal of the class, Jermod McCoy in the fourth round. Stukes is a great player at nickel, posting a stellar 90.4 PFF coverage grade in 2025. McCoy went from a consensus first-round pick to falling to day three due to injury concerns. While the durability questions are valid, getting him in the fourth round is a low-risk, high-reward move. If McCoy can return to his pre-injury form, then 31 teams will be kicking themselves for passing up on him. Las Vegas also got a high-upside edge rusher in Keyron Crawford in the third round. With Maxx Crosby likely on the move sooner or later, boosting depth to the pass rush makes sense. Some had Mike Washington Jr. as the second-best running back in this class, and the Raiders got him in the fourth round. Washington serves as a complementary power back behind Ashton Jeanty. Cleveland Browns Cleveland was one of several teams that had two first-round picks last Thursday. It addressed its two biggest needs, offensive line and wide receiver. After moving back to the ninth pick, the Browns selected Spencer Fano. Although it’s unclear whether Fano will be a tackle or guard at the next level, Cleveland got an elite run blocker with good pass-protection technique. He should be a quality starter somewhere along the Browns’ offensive line. They then doubled down at receiver, picking KC Concepcion at 24th overall and Denzel Boston early in the second round. Concepcion is a crisp route runner who can be productive in a variety of ways. Boston is a prototypical X-receiver who performs well in the red zone, catching 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Cleveland also got an absolute steal with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren towards the end of the second round. A local prospect, McNeil-Warren is a physical and versatile playmaker at safety. Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs entered this draft in uncharted territory, making a top-ten pick for the first time since trading up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017. They again traded up, acquiring the sixth overall pick to take Mansoor Delane. While trading up didn’t seem necessary, Kansas City got the best corner available, which was a significant need. If Delane is as good as the Chiefs believe, then trading up is a small price to pay. They also got the best defensive tackle in this class, selecting Peter Woods with their second first-rounder. Chris Jones is getting up there in age, so reloading the interior defensive line with Woods maintains a strength Kansas City has had for years. The Chiefs’ defense was notoriously bad at getting off the field on third-and-long, so getting a speed rusher who specializes in that situation was a must. They picked R Mason Thomas in the second round, one of the better pure pass rushers available. Kansas City also picked up Emmett Johnson in the fifth round, who should serve as a capable RB2 behind Kenneth Walker III. New York Giants New York was the only team with two top-ten picks, and it used them wisely. Getting Arvell Reese with the fifth pick was a surprise, including for Malik Nabers. Despite questions from fans and Nabers alike about Reese being a great talent at a position the Giants didn’t need, he is still an excellent selection. While New York is stacked with edge rushers, Reese can easily play off-the-ball linebacker, which the Giants do need. He will help improve a woeful run defense, while also bringing value as a pass rusher. They also picked Francis Mauigoa in the top ten, bolstering an offensive line that needs help. New York got two of the best prospects in this class, and improving the trenches is essential for a successful rebuild. The Giants didn’t just get talent in the trenches; they also got a couple of pieces on the perimeter. They picked Colton Hood in the second round to upgrade the secondary and added depth at wide receiver with Malachi Fields in the third round. Atlanta Falcons Despite not having a first-round pick and only having six picks total, the Falcons did more with less. One of the coolest stories from draft weekend was Avieon Terrell teaming up with his brother A.J. Terrell in Atlanta’s secondary. Awesome storylines aside, Terrell was a first-round caliber prospect who slipped to the middle of the second. He’s an all-around playmaker who will help Atlanta break through in the NFC South. The Falcons also got another prospect a round later than they should, getting Zachariah Branch in the third round. Branch is a dynamic player after the catch and can develop into a good WR2 in Atlanta. The Falcons took a flyer on Harold Perkins Jr. in the sixth round. Perkins is a hybrid defender who was a superstar at LSU as a freshman. While he battled through injury during his collegiate career, he’s a good late-round chance for Atlanta to take.              

Learning Under Tom Brady: Expectations Will Skyrocket There is a certain weight that comes with being a quarterback on the Las Vegas Raiders at this moment in time and it has absolutely nothing to do with the depth chart. The mere presence of Tom Brady, however indirectly, does not just increase expectations. The expectations skyrocket. The Tom Brady and Fernando Mendoza dynamic will be a big storyline in the NFL heading into the 2026 season. Tom Brady’s Influence is Invaluable Mendoza is not walking into a polished situation. This feels like an ever-moving target. He has the tools, otherwise Brady and the Raiders would not have drafted him. Mendoza is not sharing a locker room with Brady, but the influence is undeniably real. This is not a place where “he’s developing” gets you two low to average producing seasons. Everything gets analyzed and magnified. And every good pass gets thrown against a bar that so few quarterbacks in the history of the league have ever cleared. Would you expect anything less when one of your owners is the greatest quarterback of all time? Can Mendoza Develop Quick Enough for Brady? What makes this situation so interesting is not whether Mendoza can eventually be a good quarterback, but rather how quickly he can accelerate the learning curve to a degree that he can survive what is ahead. Quarterbacks were never in a position whereby they had to master everything right away. Now if the growth is not evident on a week-by-week basis then a player can be looked past before they even really have a chance to get going. Mendoza has legitimate upside as a quarterback who throws the ball a ton. This is the kind of arm that will make coaches patient far longer than they should be. You cannot teach it; you can only work with it and hope everything else will catch up. At the same time, the league is not patient, and the Raiders are not about gradual progress. Mendoza is Not Being Groomed to Be the Next Tom Brady So, what do you actually have with the Tom Brady and Fernando Mendoza situation? You do not have a quarterback being groomed to be Brady, and anyone trying to tell you differently is missing the point. You have a quarterback that will have to execute at a higher level earlier than virtually any other young quarterback in the league. That means better footwork and quicker decision-making. It also means less freelancing when things break down, and the tiny details that separate talented from reliable. If Mendoza has it then the progression could be significant. If not, things could unravel quickly. Tom Brady and Fernando Mendoza: 2026 Will Be Interesting The reality is this. Surrounding yourself with talent increases the demands but it does not develop the talent in itself. It only decreases the buffer and that can force you to speed everything up or fail before you get a chance to adjust. Watching the new relationship between Tom Brady and Fernando Mendoza grow over the 2026 season will be interesting. Not because anybody is going to ask him to be Brady, but we will all see whether he is as close to ready as many people are assuming. The question is whether that pressure will fast forward his development or pull the whole thing apart.