CBS breaks down every 1st round pick post training camp

Triumph · Sep 2, 2026

The C + grade for Lomu is fair and accurate.

Next Thursday, Seattle is starting their 2026 1st pick in RB Price. He comes in cold with zero preseason game action.

2026 NFL rookie grades: How Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and every first-round pick performed in preseason

Which first-round picks look ready for Week 1? We break down the preseason snaps and performance of all 32 rookies

www.cbssports.com

sb1 · Sep 2, 2026

"Price deals with "upper leg soreness" and did not make him available for the preseason."

That sounds like it might matter for the opener.

mgteich · Sep 2, 2026

Triumph said:
The C + grade for Lomu is fair and accurate.

Next Thursday, Seattle is starting their 2026 1st pick in RB Price. He comes in cold with zero preseason game action.

2026 NFL rookie grades: How Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and every first-round pick performed in preseason

Which first-round picks look ready for Week 1? We break down the preseason snaps and performance of all 32 rookies

www.cbssports.com

C+ is reasonable for a first rounder who isn't ready to start or perhaps even contribute early in his rookie year.

We did hope that he could be a swing OT early; I'm not sure why. He is a raw rookie OL with lots to learn.

Pape · Sep 2, 2026

only two A grades in the entire first round... a running back in the desert and a LT converting to RT in carolina... overall a weak draft class?

Lomu had some pretty high pre-camp expectations here, which he did not live up to... the C grade is a fair assessment of how he performed...

this it was good enough to have him penciled in as the swing tackle, especially in light of the lack of depth on the O Line right now

TommyD4207 · Sep 2, 2026

Pape said:
only two A grades in the entire first round... a running back in the desert and a LT converting to RT in carolina... overall a weak draft class?

Lomu had some pretty high pre-camp expectations here, which he did not live up to... the C grade is a fair assessment of how he performed...

this it was good enough to have him penciled in as the swing tackle, especially in light of the lack of depth on the O Line right now

Nobody's played an actual game yet...

Pape · Sep 2, 2026

TommyD4207 said:
Nobody's played an actual game yet...

yeah, i get that... that's why its a question and not a statement...

limited reps to zero reps for a lot of players... did anyone really flash talent?

just tossing up a topic of discussion before the game starts for real...

Ross12 · Sep 2, 2026

TommyD4207 said:
Nobody's played an actual game yet...

Yeah I have no idea how or why you would give out grades before any game action has even happened. Preseason is not real. These grades should happen near or at the end of the season, or even better, after 4 years.

DoubleDeluxe · Sep 2, 2026

Pape said:
limited reps to zero reps for a lot of players... did anyone really flash talent?

From things I read/seen, there are some guys standing out.
Bailey
Tate
Downs
Bain
Concepcion.

I’m sure more.

Pape · Sep 2, 2026

Ross12 said:
Yeah I have no idea how or why you would give out grades before any game action has even happened. Preseason is not real. These grades should happen near or at the end of the season, or even better, after 4 years.

it's the only measuring stick that we have to work with.

there may be a limited data set - number of reps, complexity of the play calls etc, but it is absolutely real

BTTA · Sep 2, 2026

The corruption and unpredictable nature of the standard grading scheme makes it close to useless.

Get off my lawn.

UGAPatsfan · Sep 2, 2026

DoubleDeluxe said:
From things I read/seen, there are some guys standing out.
Bailey
Tate
Downs
Bain
Concepcion.

I’m sure more.

Bain will be a problem

BennyBledsoe · Sep 2, 2026

UGAPatsfan said:
Bain will be a problem

For Batman.

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway. It's a little different with the modern preseason. Functionally, it's more like the old training camp. I still tune in anyway, but it's definitely a different feel.

Rob0729 · Sep 2, 2026

I think draft day grades are one of the most useless things ever..... Until I saw a regrade of the first round before any of the picks played a single game in the NFL.

I get that writers are desperate for content to get eyeballs, but who cares about grades about how the first round picks performed in the preseason?

DoubleDeluxe · Sep 2, 2026

Rob0729 said:
but who cares about grades about how the first round picks performed in the preseason?

Unfortunately enough people to keep articles like these alive.

Triumph · Thursday at 11:02 AM

Ross12 said:
Yeah I have no idea how or why you would give out grades before any game action has even happened. Preseason is not real. These grades should happen near or at the end of the season, or even better, after 4 years.

The same could be said about GMs assigning grades to potential draftees.

Preseason observations are relevant. How else do you fill the 53 roster. Jacas for instance, does not appear to be ready. Lomu has not shined, but he hasn't been terrible either.

Bill Lee · Thursday at 11:24 AM

mgteich said:
C+ is reasonable for a first rounder who isn't ready to start or perhaps even contribute early in his rookie year.

We did hope that he could be a swing OT early; I'm not sure why. He is a raw rookie OL with lots to learn.

Not to pick on you, but dropping 'first rounder' this way triggers me.

The player was picked 28th.

Sure, he's a 'first rounder' but at 28th the expectations of being ready to start immediately IMO are much less than the top dozen or so guys.

Plenty of late first rounders are 'raw rookies with a lot to learn'.

Heck, even most top of the first QB prospects get half a season or so to figure stuff out.

Yet one more reason why this article is pretty much fraudulent.

TheRainMaker · Thursday at 11:27 AM

Bill Lee said:
Not to pick on you, but dropping 'first rounder' this way triggers me.

The player was picked 28th.

My pet peeve is when announcers say “their number 1 pick”.

Al Michaels has always had a bad habit saying that. It’s very misleading.

Ross12 · Thursday at 1:10 PM

Triumph said:
The same could be said about GMs assigning grades to potential draftees.

Preseason observations are relevant. How else do you fill the 53 roster. Jacas for instance, does not appear to be ready. Lomu has not shined, but he hasn't been terrible either.

Coaches can inform their decisions based on what they are doing in practice and in the training rooms. Preseason is a small slice of each player's body of work.

CBS breaks down every 1st round pick post training camp

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