Seven rounds and 257 picks later, and that’s a wrap on the 2026 NFL Draft.
The league’s top offseason event concluded on Saturday with Rounds 4-7. Below are our five favorite fits from the final 157 selections.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Kyle Louis (fourth round, No. 138)
Teams must have not known what to do with Louis, who played linebacker at Pittsburgh but at 6-feet has the height of a safety. That tweener size may have cost him a draft round or two, because his college production (182 tackles, 10 sacks, six interceptions in 24 games from 2024-25) was worthy of a Day 2 selection.
In Miami, he joins a roster in flux as it shifts from the Mike McDaniel-Tua Tagovailoa era, having parted with the former head coach, No. 6 overall pick, and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle earlier this offseason. Louis gives first-year head coach Jeff Hafley, the former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator, an instinctual defender who made plays whenever he took the field at Pitt. On a Dolphins roster without many sure things, Louis has a great chance to carve out an early role.
Denver Broncos tight end Justin Joly (fifth round, No. 152)
Broncos coach Sean Payton loves his tight ends. So much so, he added two in the 2026 draft, with Joly (6-foot-3, 241 pounds) coming off the board first after Denver traded fifth and sixth-round picks to move up to grab him. Dallen Bentley would follow two rounds later.
“I feel like there’s a lot of things that [the Broncos] think I can do, between the backfield and the slot,” Joly told reporters on Saturday, per the official team website.
The Connecticut (2022-23) and NC State (2024-25) product had 166 receptions, 1,978 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over four collegiate seasons (49 games). He was sure-handed last year at NC State, with Sports Info Solutions data crediting him without recording a drop while averaging 0.15 expected points added per target and feasting against zone coverage, producing a 56 percent positive play rate.
Denver has an overflow of tight ends, with Joly joining a depth chart that includes veterans Adam Trautman and Evan Engram, plus 2025 backups, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull. But considering teams are moving to heavier sets, deploying two or three tight ends, Joly may have a more prominent role than most fifth-round picks.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson (fifth round, No. 161 overall)
Kenneth Walker is the undoubted lead back in Kansas City after signing a three-year, $43.05 million contract in free agency, but Johnson could find himself in a training camp battle for the RB2 role with 2025 seventh-rounder Brashard Smith.
Johnson (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) led the Big Ten in rushing at Nebraska in 2025, finishing the season with 251 carries, 1,451 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns. He also brings value out of the backfield with 83 catches over the past two seasons. SIS notes pass protection being an area Johnson must improve “to reach his ceiling of being an every-down starter,” but until then, being Walker’s backup is possible.
Tennessee Titans center Pat Coogan (sixth round, No. 194 overall)
The Titans addressed quarterback Cam Ward’s protection earlier this offseason by signing former New York Giants lineman Austin Schlottmann, 30, in free agency. But Coogan (6-foot-5, 311 pounds) could be the more impactful addition long-term, with the Rose Bowl MVP a potential starter for the future.
He was central to Indiana’s championship run, often paving running lanes for backs Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby and keeping a clean pocket for quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Tennessee needs a long-term answer at center as it builds around Ward, and Coogan might be it.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Eli Heidenreich (seventh round, No. 230 overall)
The Steelers, hosting this year’s draft, were involved in the best story of Day 3, selecting local prospect Eli Heidenreich (6-feet, 198 pounds), who was at the event to celebrate the honor in person in front of the home crowd.