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By Tyler Erzberger
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The weekend is coming to a close, and the 2026 NFL Draft has set the course for the upcoming year for the 32 franchises across the United States.
Fernando Mendoza went first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, to the surprise of no one. Ty Simpson was the only other QB taken in the opening round at No. 13 by the Los Angeles Rams, to the surprise of everyone.
It was an interesting draft in terms of positions selected, as we saw some roles valued over others throughout the seven rounds of choices.
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Here's the official ranking of how many players were chosen at each position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
More news: Final Winners and Losers From the 2026 NFL Draft
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More news: Ranking Every QB in the 2026 NFL Draft From Franchise to Bust
1. Wide receivers — 36
Wideouts were the No. 1 position group scooped up over the three days in Pittsburgh. Carnell Tate of Ohio State was the highest-picked receiver of the draft, getting selected fourth by the Tennessee Titans.
T-2. Defensive tackles — 27
The trenches are important, and we saw a slew of DTs taken throughout the three-day event.
T-2. Cornerbacks — 27
Arguably the toughest position to play in all of football, 27 CBs were taken from Thursday to Sunday night.
4. Edge rushers — 26
A good defensive end who can rush the quarterback is almost necessary nowadays to be a contender for a Lombardi Trophy.
5. Linebackers — 24
The jack-of-all-trades position of linebacker was a curious role in this year's draft, as we see defenses utilizing LBs in myriad ways.
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T-6. Tight ends — 22
Maybe the biggest winner of the entire draft, we are seeing more teams try to use 12- and 13-personnel packages following Sean McVay's success with multiple tight ends in Los Angeles.
T-6. Offensive tackles — 22
The unsung heroes of the NFL: A home run pick at offensive tackle will never steal the headlines, but can win championships.
8. Safeties — 19
The secondary can make or break a team's success, and we saw 19 taken in this year's draft.
9. Guards — 17
Again, the offensive line won't drive merchandise sales, but it will be the reason your star QB survives the season.
10. Running backs — 13
As we've seen over the past decade, running backs are viewed as one of the easier position groups to tape with journeymen and other avenues than the draft.
11. Centers — 11
The big man in the middle of it all, finding your longtime center in the draft, is a godsend if possible.
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12. Quarterbacks — 10
It was a shallow class of quarterbacks in 2026, with many teams already looking ahead to 2027, with possible names like Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, and Brendan Sorsby up for grabs.
13. Punters — 2
Don't forget the kickers.
14. Kickers — 1
Especially Trey Smack of Florida, the only kicker taken in the draft. The Green Bay Packers hope they got a good one.
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