The AFC East entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear split in priorities. The Bills and Patriots approached the weekend looking to reload and stay in the playoff mix, while the Dolphins and Jets were focused on resetting their rosters.
No team in this division delivered a truly dominant class, but none completely whiffed either. The contenders did what they needed to, adding solid, if unspectacular, talent without the benefit of premium draft capital. The results were steadier than splashy.
On the other side, the rebuilds told two very different stories. One front office showed discipline, and moved strategically throughout the board. The other leaned into a handful of questionable reaches that could create issues sooner rather than later.
Let’s break down how each AFC East team approached the 2026 draft and what it means moving forward.
New York Jets
Round 1 (No. 2): EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Round 1 (No. 16): TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Round 1 (No. 30): WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Round 2 (No. 50): CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Round 4 (No. 103): DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
Round 4 (No. 110): QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Round 6 (No. 188): G Anez Cooper, Miami
Round 7 (No. 228): S VJ Payne, Kansas State
The Jets came into this draft needing impact talent across the board, and this class has a real chance to move them closer to respectability.
Their two top picks will draw the most attention, and both come with some debate. Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 may look like a reach to some, but his speed and size create a unique mismatch profile at the position. He overlaps somewhat with Mason Taylor, but his ability to line up in the slot adds flexibility to the offense.
David Bailey at No. 2 is more complicated. He’s a high-end pass rusher with an obvious high payoff, but he lacks the positional versatility and overall athletic ceiling of a prospect like Arvell Reese. It’s a defensible pick, but one that could be second-guessed if Reese becomes a star.
Where the Jets really did their damage was in the value picks. Trading up for Omar Cooper Jr. looks like a smart move, and he should be in line for immediate snaps. D’Angelo Ponds in the second round could prove to be one of the better picks in this class, playing bigger than his size and bringing physicality to the secondary.
The one move that stands out negatively to me is the trade up for Cade Klubnik. He’s a developmental quarterback, and it’s fair to question whether he warranted the capital it took to go get him.
Overall, this is an impressive class with multiple potential contributors and a few high-upside swings. There are some risks, but the Jets came away with more answers than questions.
Grade: B+
New England Patriots
Round 1 (No. 28): OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Round 2 (No. 55): EDGE Gabe Jacas, Illinois
Round 3 (No. 95): TE Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
Round 5 (No. 171): CB Karon Prunty, Wake Forest
Round 6 (No. 196): OT Dametrious Crownover, Texas A&M
Round 6 (No. 212): LB Namdi Obiazor, TCU
Round 7 (No. 234): QB Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Round 7 (No. 245): RB Jam Miller, Alabama
Round 7 (No. 247): EDGE Quintavious Hutchins, Boston College
Trading up for Caleb Lomu was an interesting move, and will ultimately come down to how they deploy him, both immediately and long term.
The Patriots needed help along the offensive line, and with Lomu viewed as the last tackle with first-round value, it certainly wasn’t a reach. The bigger question is fit. Is he a right tackle from day one, or does he project as a long-term left tackle who eventually forces last year’s first-round pick, Will Campbell, inside? That decision will define how successful this pick becomes.
I really like the Gabe Jacas pick late in the second round. While he’s known primarily for his pass rush, he also brings the ability to set the edge and generate tackles for loss. There’s a realistic path for him to make an early impact, possibly even sooner than Lomu.
Eli Raridon in the third round feels like a slight reach, but the run on tight ends likely forced New England’s hand. He offers size, red zone skills, and enough versatility to contribute as both a blocker and receiver.
Overall, this was a steady class that addressed key needs without taking unnecessary risks. It may not produce immediate stars, but there should be multiple contributors in this group.
Grade: B
Buffalo Bills
Round 2 (No. 35): EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
Round 2 (No. 62): CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
Round 4 (No. 102): OT Judy Bowry, Boston College
Round 4 (No. 125): WR Skyler Bell, UConn
Round 4 (No. 126): LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
Round 5 (No. 167): S Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
Round 5 (No. 181): DT Zane Durant, Penn State
Round 7 (No. 220): CB Toriano Pride Jr., Missouri
Round 7 (No. 239): P Tommy Doman Jr., Florida
Round 7 (No. 241): G Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
The Bills entered the draft with two main priorities: add depth to an injury-prone defense and finally get more out of a wide receiver room that has underwhelmed. For the most part, they checked those boxes, even if the path they took to get there was a bit unconventional.
Buffalo traded out of the first round entirely, sliding from No. 26 to No. 35 through a series of moves that emphasized volume over premium positioning. The approach made sense on paper, but it may have cost them a higher-end impact player, especially with the Jets jumping ahead to take WR Omar Cooper Jr.
As for the class itself, I expect T.J. Parker to be a dynamic pass rusher in this league. He carried first-round buzz entering the 2025 season before Clemson’s struggles dragged down his stock. Igbinosun and Bowry both come with boom-or-bust profiles, while Day 3 additions like Skyler Bell and Jalon Kilgore feel like strong value relative to their draft slots.
In the end, this was a steady haul. The trade-down strategy added depth, but it also likely cost Buffalo a chance at a more impactful top-end piece.
Grade: B-
Miami Dolphins
Round 1 (No. 12): OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Round 1 (No. 27): CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Round 2 (No. 43): LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Round 3 (No. 75): WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
Round 3 (No. 87): TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
Round 3 (No. 94): WR Chris Bell, Louisville
Round 4 (No. 130): LB Trey Moore, Texas
Round 4 (No. 138): LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
Round 5 (No. 158): S Michael Taaffe, Texas
Round 5 (No. 177): WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
Round 5 (No. 180): TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State
Round 6 (No. 200): G DJ Campbell, Texas
Round 7 (No. 238): EDGE Max Llewellyn, Iowa
With 13 total picks, including six in the first three rounds, the Dolphins had a real opportunity to reshape their roster in a meaningful way. Instead, they came away with one of the more uneven classes in the league, a mix of high-upside swings and puzzling decisions that never quite formed a clear direction.
Passing on Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 12 to take Kadyn Proctor is the defining move of the class. Proctor brings rare size and physical tools, but the concerns around conditioning and consistency are real. It’s a bet on traits over reliability, and one that carries risk this early in the draft.
On the other hand, Chris Johnson at No. 27 could end up as one of the best picks in this entire class. His versatility across the secondary, combined with strong instincts and ball skills, gives Miami a piece they can move around and build with.
The middle rounds continued the same pattern. Jacob Rodriguez has the profile of a high-impact linebacker, while taking a primarily blocking tight end like Will Kacmarek in the third round feels aggressive. Chris Bell stands out as a potential sneaky grab, with a real chance to outperform his draft slot if he develops as hoped.
In the end, this haul has clear hits and several questions. If the upside bets land, Miami could come out looking sharp. If not, the early reaches will be hard to overlook.
Grade: C+
AFC East
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