Eric DeCosta, the general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, has criticized the lack of talent in the 2026 NFL Draft, saying that the level of talent is already dropping sharply in the second half of the first round and that too few players are even draft-eligible.

The 2026 NFL Draft has some outstanding talents, such as quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is considered a sure-fire number 1 pick. However, the draft year may lack depth. At least that’s the assessment of Eric DeCosta, general manager of the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore’s first pick in the first round is at number 14. “We’re excited to have the 14th pick this year. We think we’re going to get a really good player with it.” After that, however, the talent level would drop sharply, the manager believes.

NFL Draft: 257 picks in total

“There’s definitely a drop-off in talent about halfway through the first round,” DeCosta said. He added that the overall talent level this year is “a little lower than last year.”

“We have just under 200 players that we’ve deemed draft-worthy,” he explained. “If the board went exactly the way we ranked it, we’d have to go beyond that list to finish our draft because there are more than 250 picks.”

In total, the draft includes 257 picks. The Ravens are on the clock with their last pick at position 250. So it’s quite possible that they will have to pick a player who they don’t think is actually at the right level.