The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the girlfriends have a lot to say. Dezi, Beth, and Laura gathered for their annual Draft Special — and if you know us, you know it's never just about the picks. It's the fashion. The drama. The trades that had us texting each other at midnight. The moments that made us say "wait, WHAT?" at our screens.
Here's your recap — girlfriend style.
First Things First: How Did Everyone Watch?
Every draft tells a story, and this year, so did the watch parties. Laura was dialed in from the jump, live-texting the group chat about every fit and pick from round one. She watched with her neighbor Julie, a die-hard Carolina fan whose absolute favorite part of the draft (every single year) is watching the moms cry when their sons get called. And Beth? Well, Beth was doing something that had absolutely nothing to do with football.
Girl Scout camping with eleven-year-old girls.
To her credit, she followed along as best she could from the woods, getting updates from the group chat and catching up on everything she missed. And there was quite a bit to catch up on, including the fact that by the time she went to sleep, neither the Bills nor the Lions had made a single first-round pick. Both teams kept trading back. The group chat was, in Beth's words, "salty AF."
Some things are just part of the experience.
Rate the Fit: Because the Draft Is Also a Red Carpet
For us, Rate the Fit is the segment. And the 2026 Draft class did NOT disappoint.
Arvel Reese kicked things off in the most unexpected way: a suit lined with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups branding on the inside. Sponsored by Reese's, naturally. You couldn't see it on the red carpet unless he opened his jacket, which is exactly the kind of delightful secret detail we love. The girlfriends were absolutely here for it.
Speaking of brand sponsorships, Heinz 57 made a play for the 57th overall pick, promising a lifetime supply of their entire product line to whoever got drafted in that spot. Logan Jones walked away with the pick, and presumably a lot of ketchup. The girls had ONE note: Heinz needed to go bigger. Where was the ketchup bottle mascot? Where was the moment? Strong concept, missed execution. We would have done it differently.
On the fashion side, purple was officially the color of the 2026 draft class. Mansour Delane showed up in a monochrome mauve situation that was giving quiet luxury. Caleb Downs went deep plum, and while his smile was genuinely radiant, the fact that he went to Dallas meant Dezi could only compliment the outfit. Caden Proctor also worked a blue-purple suit that looked even more purple on stage than in photos.
Carnell Tate in an all bone-white cropped jacket, iced out with a cross necklace and a watch that was very much doing its job. Not everyone can pull off a crop jacket. Carnell Tate absolutely can.
But the girls' favorite fit of the night? Jeremiyah Love in a smooth brown brocade that perfectly tailored to steel the show.
The Picks: Team by Team
49ers (Dezi's Take)
If you were in a 49ers fan group this draft week, you felt the collective "meh" in real time. The Niners came in with the 27th pick, traded down, traded down again, and ended up at 33rd, which meant watching players they wanted go to other teams while the group chat got louder and louder.
The wide receiver room is now very full. Some fans wanted Omar Cooper Jr., who went to the Jets. Some wanted safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. What the 49ers got was a wide receiver with a Z in their name, which Dezi pointed out she also has two Z's in HER name, so she's choosing to be a fan. You take your wins where you can get them.
The overall vibe from 49ers fans? Perplexed. But hopeful. There's always preseason.
Bills (Beth's Take)
After the saltiness wore off, the Bills draft class actually came together better than it felt in the moment. Defense was clearly the priority, new defensive coordinator Jim Leonard had a lot of influence over the picks, and the Bills came away with TJ Parker (edge linebacker), a promising cornerback, and some solid depth pieces.
The sting? Wide receiver. Josh Allen has needed more weapons, and the Bills waited until the later rounds to address it, landing Skylar Bell, a receiver Beth was actually excited about, even if the timing frustrated her. Her grade: B+/A-. Honest, fair, and delivered after a Girl Scout camping trip. Respect.
Lions (Laura's Take)
Laura gave the Lions an A. The Lions went heavy on filling holes, which is exactly what a team built to compete needs when it's thinking about a championship run. With an Edge out of Michigan to match with Hutch and a tackle to fill out the O-line along with our current superstar Penei Sewell. The draft paired with their free agency moves left Laura feeling genuinely good heading into 2026.
Sports & Medicine: The Jermod McCoy Situation
One of the more fascinating stories of the draft was Jermod McCoy, a cornerback who was projected as a top-6 pick and ended up falling all the way to the fourth round before the Las Vegas Raiders traded up to grab him at 101st overall.
Why the fall? An ACL tear at the end of the 2024 college season, a missed 2025 season, and growing concern about a bone plug used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee. Some doctors believe another surgery, with a lengthy recovery, could be on the horizon.
Since Dezi is a physician assistant and Beth is a doctor of physical therapy, they broke down exactly what a bone plug is, how cartilage repair works, and what the knee anatomy involved actually looks like. It's the kind of segment that makes you feel like you genuinely understand what's happening, without needing a medical degree.
The verdict: if McCoy's knee holds up, the Raiders may have found a steal. The risk is real. The upside is significant. Time, and the medical team in Vegas, will tell.
The Stories That Stuck
Beyond the picks and the fits, a few draft moments had everyone talking:
The Eagles drafted Uar Bernard, a player from Nigeria who didn't play organized sports until he was sixteen, never played a day of football in his life, and was described as one of the most physically gifted athletes scouts had ever seen. He played basketball before someone pointed him toward football. The Eagles took him in the seventh round. At six percent body fat and an extraordinary physical profile, he's a story worth following. The girlfriends were captivated.
Two Naval Academy players were drafted in the same class. Wide receiver Eli Heidenreich and defensive tackle Landon Robinson — the first Navy duo to be drafted together since 1956. Pre-Super Bowl era. That is genuinely incredible.
We’re Excited for the Season
The 2026 NFL Draft was chaotic, stylish, surprising, and genuinely fun to watch, even when your team traded back twice and left you staring at your phone at 11pm. The fits were bold, the stories were great, and the girlfriends had opinions about all of it.
We always do.
Watch or Listen to the Full Draft Special
Want the full breakdown, the real-time reactions, the sports medicine segment, every Rate the Fit score, and the hot takes we didn't fit in this recap?
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts search Girlfriends + Football and find the 2026 Draft Special wherever you get your podcasts.
And make sure you're following us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook so you don't miss a thing as we head toward September.
Game on, girlfriends.
