Eric DeCosta: This draft has a talent drop-off midway through the first round

Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta is heading into the 2026 NFL draft together with his first choose coming at No. 14. Which is true round the place DeCosta thinks the talent on this draft begins to drop off.

DeCosta mentioned that when he evaluates the total talent stage out there this 12 months, he sees a robust first half of the first round, however a weaker second half.

“First round, there’s definitely a drop off probably midway through the round in terms of talent,” DeCosta mentioned.

DeCosta mentioned the total talent stage this 12 months is “a little less than last year.”

“We have just under 200 players that we have ranked as draftable for us,” DeCosta mentioned. “If the board came off exactly the same way as we have it, we’d have to go outside of that to finish our draft because there’s over 250 picks.”

DeCosta disputed the notion that his willingness to commerce away his first-round choose for Maxx Crosby signifies he did not assume the 14th choose on this 12 months’s draft is especially precious.

“We’re excited to have the pick this year at 14,” DeCosta mentioned. “We think we’re going to get a really good player.”