2026 NFL Draft Round 1 winners: Cowboys, Eagles, and Browns stole the show

The reality is that some did better than others. The right player fell, they moved up to get their man, or a need simply got filled at the right price.

It won't be definitive for another year or two, but waiting's no fun. Here are three teams that got it right on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

Stream the 2026 NFL Draft free and live on DAZN

Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft was as dramatic as it gets, and Rounds 2 and 3 promise more of the same, live and free on DAZN (excluding Canada). 

Tune in on Friday, April 24, at midnight BST / 7pm ET / 4pm PT to watch the best remaining college prospects fulfil a lifelong dream of hearing their names called on draft night.

Streaming times for Days 2 and 3 are available here.

Dallas Cowboys

Two fifth-rounders to move up one spot is all it cost Dallas to get standout Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at 11, and those picks are scant cost for the 21-year-old's talents.

Last year, Downs allowed a measly 53.4 passer rating in coverage, and was an asset in run defense, too, missing just 11.7 per cent of his tackle attempts.

Make no mistake, Downs is the kind of player who can spearhead the transformation of a defense, and that's exactly what the Cowboys needed after allowing a league-worst 30.1 points per game in 2025.

They weren't done there, either. GM Jerry Jones traded back three spots with the Eagles to net UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at 23, plus two fourth-rounders.

Lawrence may not have been among the top tier of edges, but he's got the juice to make a mark. He produced an eye-catching 17.5 per cent pressure rate in 2025, finished with seven sacks, and earned First-team All-Big 12 honours for his efforts.

The Cowboys came out of Round 1 with more picks than they went in with, having addressed two defensive needs. Not bad work, Jerry, not bad.

Philadelphia Eagles

With A.J. Brown's future with the Eagles in doubt, finding a receiver wasn't just a nice-to-have - it was urgent.

Landing USC slot specialist Makai Lemon at 20 could prove to be a steal. He may have a limited catch radius, but he's a constant threat with the ball in his hands and had a career drop rate of just 2.8 per cent.

Philadelphia did trade up three spots to make it happen, handing the Cowboys a 2027 seventh-rounder in the process, but that's such a small amount of capital for a player who can become one of Jalen Hurts' best weapons in short order.

Howie Roseman slept soundly last night.

Cleveland Browns

Andrew Berry walked in with a simple plan: to walk out of Round 1 with an offensive tackle and a receiver. He did both and somehow came away with extra picks in the process.

Spencer Fano at No. 9 is the headline takeaway. His PFF run-blocking grade over the past two seasons was 91.6, the best among all first-round offensive linemen, and he gave up one sack in that whole stretch.

He's fired up to get started.

Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion at 24th overall is less of a slam dunk. He's had his drop issues, but he's explosive, effective on underneath routes, and with that receiver room in the state it's in, he's got a genuine shot at leading the Browns in targets as a rookie.