2026 NFL Rookie Class by Team: Which Team to Pick in a Break
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Which team to pick for 2026 rookies
As of November 3, 2026, the Raiders (Fernando Mendoza), Cardinals (Jeremiyah Love and Carson Beck), Browns (Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion), Titans (Carnell Tate) and Jets (David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr.) lead on hobby interest per SI’s rankings. Below is where every notable 2026 rookie landed and which FireHand Topps and Bowman football products carry them.
Quick answer: top teams for rookie value
- Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (No. 1 overall pick; SI No. 1), plus Mike Washington Jr. (SI No. 15).
- Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love (SI No. 2) and Carson Beck (SI No. 9), two ranked rookies.
- Browns: Denzel Boston (SI No. 5), KC Concepcion (SI No. 10) and No. 9 pick Spencer Fano.
- Titans: Carnell Tate (No. 4 pick; SI No. 3 in Week 8).
- Jets: three first-round picks (Bailey, Sadiq, Cooper), two of them SI-ranked.
Next tier: Saints (Jordyn Tyson, SI No. 4), Rams (Ty Simpson, SI No. 6) and 49ers (Kaelon Black and De’Zhaun Stribling, both SI-ranked).
Ranks from SI’s Week 8 rookie report (Nov 2, 2026). Rankings move every week.
2026 NFL rookies by team
All 32 teams, alphabetical. Round 1 shows overall pick, position and college. Other notable rookies are later-round picks with hobby interest or the team’s top pick when it had no first-rounder.
| Team | 2026 Round 1 pick(s) | Other notable rookies | SI Week 8 rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | #3 Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame | Carson Beck, QB (R3, #65) | Love 2, Beck 9 |
| Atlanta Falcons | None | Zachariah Branch, WR (R3, #79) | — |
| Baltimore Ravens | #14 Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State | Ja’Kobi Lane, WR (R3, #80) | Lane 19 |
| Buffalo Bills | None | T.J. Parker, EDGE (R2, #35) | — |
| Carolina Panthers | #19 Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia | — | — |
| Chicago Bears | #25 Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon | — | — |
| Cincinnati Bengals | None | Cashius Howell, EDGE (R2, #41); Colbie Young, WR (R4, #140) | — |
| Cleveland Browns | #9 Spencer Fano, OT, Utah; #24 KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M | Denzel Boston, WR (R2, #39) | Boston 5, Concepcion 10 |
| Dallas Cowboys | #11 Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State; #23 Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF | — | — |
| Denver Broncos | None | Jonah Coleman, RB (R4, #108) | Coleman 7 |
| Detroit Lions | #17 Blake Miller, OT, Clemson | — | — |
| Green Bay Packers | None | Brandon Cisse, CB (R2, #52) | — |
| Houston Texans | #26 Keylan Rutledge, IOL, Georgia Tech | — | — |
| Indianapolis Colts | None | CJ Allen, LB (R2, #53); A.J. Haulcy, S (R3, #78) | — |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | None | Nate Boerkircher, TE (R2, #56) | — |
| Kansas City Chiefs | #6 Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU; #29 Peter Woods, DL, Clemson | Emmett Johnson, RB (R5, #161) | Johnson 17 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | #1 Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana | Mike Washington Jr., RB (R4, #122) | Mendoza 1, Washington 15 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | #22 Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami | — | — |
| Los Angeles Rams | #13 Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama | — | Simpson 6 |
| Miami Dolphins | #12 Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama; #27 Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State | — | — |
| Minnesota Vikings | #18 Caleb Banks, DL, Florida | — | — |
| New England Patriots | #28 Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah | — | — |
| New Orleans Saints | #8 Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State | — | Tyson 4 |
| New York Giants | #5 Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State; #10 Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami | — | — |
| New York Jets | #2 David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech; #16 Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon; #30 Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana | Cade Klubnik, QB (R4, #110) | Cooper 11, Sadiq 14 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | #20 Makai Lemon, WR, USC | — | Lemon 12 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | #21 Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State | Germie Bernard, WR (R2, #47); Drew Allar, QB (R3, #76) | Bernard 13 |
| San Francisco 49ers | None | De’Zhaun Stribling, WR (R2, #33); Kaelon Black, RB (R3, #90) | Black 16, Stribling 18 |
| Seattle Seahawks | #32 Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame | — | Price 8 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | #15 Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami | Ted Hurst, WR (R3, #84) | — |
| Tennessee Titans | #4 Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State; #31 Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn | — | Tate 3 |
| Washington Commanders | #7 Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State | Antonio Williams, WR (R3, #71) | Williams 20 |
Teams with two or more notable rookies
Cardinals (Love, Beck), Browns (Fano, Concepcion, Boston), Jets (Bailey, Sadiq, Cooper), 49ers (Stribling, Black) and Raiders (Mendoza, Washington). Cowboys, Giants, Chiefs, Dolphins and Titans also had two first-round picks.
Teams with no first-round pick
Falcons, Bills, Bengals, Broncos, Packers, Colts, Jaguars and 49ers had no 2026 first-round pick. Two still have SI-ranked rookies: Jonah Coleman (Broncos, SI No. 7) and the 49ers pair of Kaelon Black and De’Zhaun Stribling.
Why team breaks may be worth more this year
In its Week 6 rookie report, SI noted that multiple teams have “two or more coveted rookies,” meaning team breaks “might be especially valuable” for new product coming soon. If you own one of those teams, every rookie card for both players goes to you.
Which FireHand football products carry these rookies
These Topps and Bowman football guides cover the 2026 NFL rookie class. Each guide has its own team checklist.
2026 Topps Chrome Football
Releases November 18, 2026. Includes rookie dual autographs such as Mendoza / Simpson, Reese / Downs and Tate / Tyson. Current break:
2026 Topps Midnight Football
Releases November 13, 2026. Current break:
2026 Topps Inception Football
Releases November 6, 2026. Current break:
2026 Topps Heritage Football
Out since October 21, 2026. Current break:
2026 Topps Stadium Club Football
See the guide for release details. Current break:
2026 Bowman Football
Out since September 30, 2026. Current break: Join the current break
Browse all Product Breakdowns & Checklists.
Pick your team vs random team for rookie chasing
FireHand may run pick your team and/or random team breaks. Pick your team lets you target the exact rookie you want, such as Mendoza with the Raiders. Random team spreads your chance across the board, so you could land a deep rookie class like the Jets or Browns, or a team with none.
Multi-team rookie cards, such as the Chrome rookie duals Mendoza / Simpson, Reese / Downs and Tate / Tyson, follow the multi-team rule on each product guide. See the Chrome Football guide for how those are decided.
How rookie value can change
Rookie card demand follows playing time. Quarterback starts, injuries and snap counts all move the rankings. As of SI’s Week 7 report, Mendoza was still backing up Kirk Cousins. In Week 8, SI noted injuries had slowed Love and Tate, while Coleman and Washington entered the list on bigger workloads. This page is refreshed weekly during the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team has the best 2026 NFL rookies for breaks?
The Raiders, Cardinals and Browns lead per SI’s Week 8 rankings: Mendoza for Las Vegas, Love and Beck for Arizona, and Boston and Concepcion for Cleveland. The Titans (Tate) and Jets (three first-round picks) round out the top five. See the team table for all 32 teams.
What team drafted Fernando Mendoza?
The Las Vegas Raiders took Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana, with the No. 1 overall pick in the April 2026 NFL Draft. He was SI’s No. 1 rookie to collect in Week 8.
Which NFL teams have multiple top rookies?
The Cardinals (Love, Beck), Browns (Fano, Concepcion, Boston), Jets (Bailey, Sadiq, Cooper), 49ers (Stribling, Black) and Raiders (Mendoza, Washington).
Should I pick a team or go random for rookies?
Pick your team targets one team’s rookies, so you know exactly who you’re chasing. Random team spreads your chance across every team. FireHand may run pick your team and/or random team breaks.
Which FireHand products have 2026 NFL rookie cards?
2026 Topps Chrome, Midnight, Inception, Heritage and Stadium Club Football, plus 2026 Bowman Football. See each product guide.
What happens with a rookie card showing two teams?
Multi-team cards follow the rule on each product guide. For Chrome, see the Chrome Football guide.
How often is this page updated?
Weekly during the NFL season, since rookie values move with playing time.
Join a break
Pick your team in a live Topps or Bowman football break. Questions? See our support FAQ.
