{"id":508894,"date":"2026-03-02T05:54:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T05:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/508894\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T05:54:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T05:54:09","slug":"2026-nfl-mock-draft-6-0-ohio-state-defenders-rise-after-stellar-combines-edge-rushers-dominate-first-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/508894\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL mock draft 6.0: Ohio State defenders rise after stellar combines; edge rushers dominate first round"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the 2026 NFL scouting combine<\/a> in the books, this year\u2019s NFL Draft class is becoming clearer.<\/p>\n

While the quarterbacks and wide receivers got the most attention at the combine<\/a>, it was a group of defensive prospects that stood out this past week in Indianapolis. Specifically, Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese and linebacker Sonny Styles<\/a> put together a fantastic series of workouts to move into the top three of our latest mock draft. But there were plenty of other defenders who stood out. This mock draft is littered with them in a deep overall class of defensive linemen and defensive backs.<\/p>\n

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In this mock draft, Yahoo Sports\u2019 Nate Tice makes the odd-numbered picks, and Charles McDonald makes the even.<\/p>\n

More 2026 NFL mock drafts: 5.0<\/a> | 4.0<\/a> | 3.0<\/a> | 2.0<\/a> | 1.0<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Las Vegas Raiders \u2014 Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overthink it. Barring some unforeseen path the Raiders take this offseason, Mendoza looks like the signal-caller of the future in Las Vegas. Mendoza checks a lot of boxes at QB, especially his overall size as Mendoza not only stands 6-foot-5 but weighed in at a strong 236 pounds in Indianapolis. And his sense of timing, ability to throw on the move, and willingness to push the ball are a great match for Klint Kubiak\u2019s offense that constantly asks quarterbacks to work inside and outside of the pocket and into tight spots over the middle of the field. The Raiders\u2019 skill position talent already has strong, young playmakers (maybe one more outside receiver would be nice!) who can help ease Mendoza\u2019s transition to the next level.<\/p>\n

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2. New York Jets \u2014 Arvell Reese, LB\/EDGE, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Some players who split time between two positions are \u201ctweeners\u201d who don\u2019t really excel at either spot. A very small number of players who play two spots put up elite performances at both. Reese fits into the latter. He\u2019s a true front-seven weapon who should excel wherever his future team puts him. He can cover, play the run and rush the passer, making him a rare and versatile linebacker prospect at the top of the draft. The Jets\u2019 defense was so bad that someone who can plug multiple spots depending on the situation is exactly what they need.<\/p>\n

3. Arizona Cardinals \u2014 Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Styles\u2019 strong season had him already moving up draft boards, and an even stronger showing in Indianapolis<\/a> only added rocket fuel to his rise. Styles\u2019 range and smarts as an off-ball linebacker allow him to impact the run and pass, but he also has the length and strength to hold up as an edge rusher for snaps as well. The redbirds could look at offensive line here, too, but Styles\u2019 ability to be a steadying force and impact player, with versatility thrown in, makes sense for any type of defense and franchise. But the Cardinals need stuff to build around. Plus there\u2019s a nice bonus of it being an interesting fit for coordinator Nick Rallis\u2019 knuckleball defense.<\/p>\n

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4. Tennessee Titans \u2014 Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami<\/p>\n

Tennessee started rebuilding its defense in Robert Saleh\u2019s image by swapping T\u2019Vondre Sweat for the Jets\u2019 Jermaine Johnson<\/a>. Now Saleh can continue to build what his best Jets defenses had: premier defensive line depth. Adding Bain, who would be a perfect fit in Saleh\u2019s defense, would give the Titans a heavy-handed player on the edge who has high-end athleticism to negate any arm-length issues his frame should bring up. Jeffery Simmons and Bain would be \u2026 a pain.<\/p>\n

5. New York Giants \u2014 Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami<\/p>\n

While there are other offensive tackles who are (spoilers for the next pick!) shooting up draft boards, the Giants go for Mauigoa. He could be the short-term and long-term answer for the Giants at right tackle or right guard. Mauigoa is a clean prospect with good hand usage and a strong build who can help the Giants\u2019 offensive line from dipping after an underrated strong performance in 2025 (especially when Andrew Thomas was on the field). Perhaps he doesn\u2019t have overwhelming athleticism. Still, he\u2019s a player who allows the Giants to always have their best five offensive linemen on the field.<\/p>\n

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6. Cleveland Browns \u2014 Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia<\/p>\n

This is a big-time jump for Freeling, but he has all the traits NFL teams drool over for offensive tackle prospects in terms of size and athleticism. The Browns, who are facing the potential losses of the vast majority of their offensive line to free agency, will need to completely rebuild that unit \u2014 which is a bit overdue, but not to this severity. Freeling gives Cleveland a dart throw to have strong left tackle play if he continues his trend of rapid improvement over the past year.<\/p>\n

\"INDIANAPOLIS,<\/p>\n

Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey helped his draft stock with a strong performance at the combine. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

(Lauren Leigh Bacho via Getty Images)7. Washington Commanders \u2014 David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech<\/p>\n

As tempting as it will be to add an offensive player of some kind here, with tasty options at offensive line, wide receiver, tight end and running back, the Commanders instead add firepower to a defense that has to get faster, younger and just straight up better. Bailey is an explosive pass rusher<\/a> who is constantly attacking offensive tackles. He will never be a strong run defender, but he has long arms (measured at 33 \u00be inches at the combine) and has improved in that area. Bailey is the exact type of talent injection this defense needs.<\/p>\n

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8. New Orleans Saints \u2014 Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Tyler Shough will be getting a chance to show he can be the long-term quarterback this year, so shoring up the wide receiver room should be a priority. New Orleans is a bit thin in terms of premier skill talent after a few years of erosion, but Shough\u2019s emergence gives them the ability to burn this pick on Tate, who should immediately step in as a legitimate starting option alongside former Buckeye Chris Olave.<\/p>\n

9. Kansas City Chiefs \u2014 Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

WHHHEEEEE! The Chiefs have a few needs they could address here, but I think an offensive skill player of some sort is the way to go. And why not go with Love, one of the best overall players in this draft and a walking, talking explosive play who could boost a run game that has been hyper-efficient the past few seasons, but has had the same explosiveness as a wet firecracker. Love behind a Chiefs offensive line that could end up being one of the league\u2019s better units and in an Andy Reid screen game has me salivating.<\/p>\n

10. Cincinnati Bengals \u2014 Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Cincinnati needs defense. Downs is arguably the best player in the draft. Whoever is the top defensive player available here, the Bengals should take him without thinking much about it. Downs\u2019 position is the only reason he\u2019s available here as safeties tend to slide down the board relative to their consensus rankings.<\/p>\n

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11. Miami Dolphins \u2014 Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU<\/p>\n

Zone cornerback, meet zone coverage-calling head coach. Delane gets how to play the cornerback position. He\u2019s smart and has a great feel for playing high-low concepts, with the quickness and burst to make plays on the football. He doesn\u2019t have ideal length or top-end athleticism, but he gives the Dolphins and new head coach Jeff Hafley a young CB with pedigree to build around.<\/p>\n

12. Dallas Cowboys \u2014 Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Dallas needs to keep plugging away at the holes in its secondary and can get a high-upside prospect in McCoy here to get a corner who can take advantage of Dallas\u2019 defensive line talent. McCoy has excellent ball skills and can be a more steady player than the boom-bust talents that occupied this secondary in the past.<\/p>\n

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13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons) \u2014 Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon<\/p>\n

After dipping their toes in the Oregon tight end waters last draft with Terrance Ferguson in the second round and supercharging their multi-tight end looks, the Rams take the plunge with Sadiq. Yes, the Rams could add to their defensive backfield here, among other positions, but Sadiq would further weaponize a Rams offense that asks its skill players to do a bit of everything around the formation. Sadiq would give Sean McVay another field stretcher and yards-after-catch option while still deploying heavy bodies, with some grit as a blocker as a nice bonus. Sadiq would not only help the Rams for 2026, but he also shores up the position long-term for the Rams as they have several pending tight end free agents in 2027.<\/p>\n

14. Baltimore Ravens \u2014 Vega Ioane, G, Penn State<\/p>\n

Baltimore needs to add more high-end offensive line talent and Ioane may wind up being the only first-round caliber player on the interior this year. He perfectly fits the power running that Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have thrived with and is athletic enough to have versatility for new coordinator Declan Doyle as he begins to install his offense in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

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15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers \u2014 Keldric Faulk, DL\/Edge, Auburn<\/p>\n

Faulk has an ideal build for a classic defensive end and fits the type of defensive ends that Todd Bowles has deployed in the past (Logan Hall, William Gholston). Faulk is young and still developing as a pass rusher, but he can be a needle-moving run defender right out of the gate as he polishes the rest of his game. Faulk\u2019s versatility to move across the defensive line helps him fit in any type of scheme, but is a clean fit in Bowles\u2019 defense. A strong option to help out for 2026, but a swing at something more for the Bucs while picking in the middle of the first.<\/p>\n

16. New York Jets (via Colts) \u2014 Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson<\/p>\n

Another player for the broken Jets\u2019 defense. Like his older brother A.J., a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Falcons, Avieon didn\u2019t have the most explosive day at the combine (his 34-inch vertical ranked among the bottom third of CBs and his 10-feet, 3-inch broad jump was also in the lower tier in this group) but he still has the profile of a starting outside cornerback in the NFL, which is still an incredibly valuable thing to find. That works here for the Jets.<\/p>\n

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17. Detroit Lions \u2014 Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah<\/p>\n

While Giovanni Manu is still interesting to me, Lomu gives the Lions their Taylor Decker succession plan (and insurance for the 2026 season). Lomu has to continue to get stronger, but he has light feet, clean hand usage and the overall athleticism to stay on the left side and be a plus-blindside protector. Lomu has just turned 21, so a redshirt year under offensive line coach\/run game coordinator Hank Fraley while continuing to add to his frame could make this a perfect player-team fit for a franchise that seems like it\u2019s about to start transitioning to phase 2 of the Dan Campbell tenure.<\/p>\n

18. Cleveland Browns (via Vikings) \u2014 Spencer Fano, OT, Utah<\/p>\n

The Browns jump up here in the draft to grab the falling Fano, giving them two offensive tackles in the first round of this draft. Freeling and Fano could grow into a formidable OT duo for the Browns and when a team has so few offensive linemen under contract with a restrictive salary cap situation, the draft is the best way to go.<\/p>\n

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19. Carolina Panthers \u2014 CJ Allen, LB, Georgia<\/p>\n

The Panthers could look to help out their trenches on both sides of the ball here, but they sorely need impact defensive players. Allen can be that solidifying force in the front seven who could help this defense finally step out of the doldrums. Allen\u2019s intelligence, quickness, and overall two-way ability would help the Panthers shore up against the run and pass, while also having some blitzing juice to fit into coordinator Ejiro Evero\u2019s defensive funkiness.<\/p>\n

20. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers) \u2014 Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M<\/p>\n

Another dip on defense, this time the Cowboys add to their defensive end rotation with the speedy Howell. He\u2019s similar to some of the players they already have on the roster, but this is a decent enough range and he would benefit from a strong room of defensive tackles.<\/p>\n

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21. Pittsburgh Steelers \u2014 Makai Lemon, WR, USC<\/p>\n

I go back and forth with what kind of second wide receiver I would want to see in Pittsburgh in Mike McCarthy\u2019s offense and across from DK Metcalf. While I\u2019m personally higher on Denzel Boston than Lemon, I think Lemon\u2019s quickness and route-running ability from the slot is actually a good fit for what I think McCarthy is going to want in his offense that has typically featured a steady heaping of quick-hitting passing plays. Lemon would also give Pittsburgh more yards-after-catch ability and a different flavor than Metcalf and the Steelers\u2019 jumbo-size tight end room.<\/p>\n

22. Los Angeles Chargers \u2014 Peter Woods, DL, Clemson<\/p>\n

The Chargers go pure value here and take Woods, who was slotted as a top pick prior to the season. Woods has all the upside in the world to be an impact player on the interior and still flashed strong skills in a down year for the entire Clemson program. Woods would be a great young talent for the Chargers to add with the emerging Tuli Tuipulotu on the edge.<\/p>\n

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23. Philadelphia Eagles \u2014 Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State<\/p>\n

When picking for the Eagles under general manager Howie Roseman, defaulting to a pick in the trenches isn\u2019t the worst bet. And something I agree with! Especially with long-time right-side stalwart Lane Johnson contemplating retirement seemingly on a weekly basis and other question marks potentially emerging along the rest of the Eagles\u2019 line. I\u2019m high on Iheanachor, who is a great athlete in a large frame, and I think he has more polish to his game than the \u201cproject\u201d label he gets despite being a latecomer to football. And this might end up as his floor when April comes.<\/p>\n

24. Minnesota Vikings (via Browns) \u2014 Caleb Banks, DT, Florida<\/p>\n

After flipping down with the Browns, the Vikings take a big swing at defensive tackle with Banks. He isn\u2019t a finished product, but he\u2019s a lot more polished than most designated projects and was incredibly disruptive in the three games he played this season. His movement skills and footwork are incredibly rare at 6-foot-6, 330, but he struggles to finish plays off the penetration he creates. Brian Flores would be a great coach to land with in regards to fixing that and the Vikings would have the chance for the elite interior talent this defense has been missing.<\/p>\n

25. Chicago Bears \u2014 Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Left tackle is very live here for Chicago, but the Bears must look to add beef to their defensive interior. And what better person to add beef than someone with the last name McDonald. McDonald has good bulk and is a strong run defender who actually racks up tackles rather than just plodding in the middle with his quick feet and ability to consistently shed his block. He is just an average pass rusher, but can help shore up a run defense that was prone to leaks in 2025.<\/p>\n

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26. Buffalo Bills \u2014 Denzel Boston, WR, Washington<\/p>\n

The Bills clearly have a big need at wide receiver and can take another swing on a wide receiver early in the draft. Boston had 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons and profiles as someone who has a chance to be a big-bodied wide receiver who has a bit more skills than players the Bills currently have.<\/p>\n

27. San Francisco 49ers \u2014 Blake Miller, OT, Clemson<\/p>\n

The 49ers\u2019 run game lost some venom last season despite a Herculean effort from Christian McCaffrey. Perhaps this is the season that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch add some pedigree to their offensive line. The 49ers paid Colton McKivitz and he\u2019s under contract for a couple of more seasons, but Miller projects to be a tier or two better than McKivitz at right tackle. Miller\u2019s agility makes him a good fit for a Shanahan offense. He played only the right side in college, but he has the athleticism and length to give the left side a shot in case the 49ers need a Trent Williams insurance\/succession plan, too.<\/p>\n

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28. Houston Texans \u2014 Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama<\/p>\n

Offensive line help arrives for the Texans, who take one of the biggest players in the draft who has a wide range of potential outcomes. Proctor is talented, but his play was a bit inconsistent this season and he\u2019s a bit of an outlier in weight, at 370 pounds in-season for the Crimson Tide. Still, he\u2019s an immense talent and is worth the swing at this point.<\/p>\n

29. Los Angeles Rams \u2014 Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina<\/p>\n

NOW is when the Rams add to their defensive backfield, this time with Cisse, who my friend Derrik Klassen from The Athletic described as \u201ca safety playing the cornerback position.\u201d I think Cisse needs to improve in his game recognition, but he has the feistiness and explosiveness to help out somewhere, whether it\u2019s on the outside or with a move into the slot (the Rams loved their dime personnel packages under d-coordinator Chris Shula). His scrappiness and tackling ability will give him fans.<\/p>\n

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30. Denver Broncos \u2014 Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami<\/p>\n

Another pass rusher for the Broncos because that\u2019s what we do with teams at the bottom of a mock draft.\u00a0Mesidor showed he can put heat on the quarterback on the edge and the interior of Miami\u2019s defensive line, registering 12.5 sacks in the Hurricanes\u2019 run to the national championship game. Pro Football Focus gave him a 92.5 pass rush grade, which is third among edge rushers. His PFF run defense score was 88.3, which ranked in the 91st percentile.<\/p>\n

31. New England Patriots \u2014 KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M<\/p>\n

The Patriots could go offensive line, but they need to add explosiveness to their pass catcher corps. Hello, KC Concepcion! While DeMario Douglas has been able to contribute big plays from the slot, Concepcion could provide the type of yards after catch and downfield ability that would give Drake Maye an explosive option to work with (along with the improved Kayshon Boutte and explosive, but raw, Kyle Williams).<\/p>\n

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32. Seattle Seahawks \u2014 Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Seattle may have a bit of a shakeup in its cornerback room this offseason, so adding another cost-controlled, long-term deal in the room might make sense. Hood had a great workout in Indianapolis \u2014 Next Gen Stats ranked his athletic score fourth among cornerbacks at the combine \u2014 and was a productive player on the ball for the Vols\u2019 pass defense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the 2026 NFL scouting combine in the books, this year\u2019s NFL Draft class is becoming clearer. While…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508895,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[89627,15834,1745,94509,1742,190982,1748,49,115070,158914,48,1744,1735,18084,18082,1740,1724,202532,13276,1721,23255,116848,116849,34548,1743,3942,3163,1775,2221,8820,85969,198607,43021,1737,3844,25046,1727,52303,23261,190981,16398,2211,16545,1483,1736,134215,2210,1749,6390,1720,1726,148577,191154,1718,2694,1734,1728,1723,514,49182,5003,12105,1747,949,948,1739,94513,82,1733,43027,1741,7258,27236,91042,1760,1758,202531],"class_list":{"0":"post-508894","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-akheem-mesidor","9":"tag-andrew-thomas","10":"tag-arizona-cardinals","11":"tag-arvell-reese","12":"tag-baltimore-ravens","13":"tag-blake-miller","14":"tag-buffalo-bills","15":"tag-ca","16":"tag-caleb-downs","17":"tag-caleb-lomu","18":"tag-canada","19":"tag-carolina-panthers","20":"tag-chicago-bears","21":"tag-chris-olave","22":"tag-christian-mccaffrey","23":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","24":"tag-cleveland-browns","25":"tag-colton-mckivitz","26":"tag-colts","27":"tag-dallas-cowboys","28":"tag-david-bailey","29":"tag-defensive-backs","30":"tag-defensive-linemen","31":"tag-demario-douglas","32":"tag-denver-broncos","33":"tag-derrick-henry","34":"tag-detroit-lions","35":"tag-dk-metcalf","36":"tag-drake-maye","37":"tag-falcons","38":"tag-fernando-mendoza","39":"tag-francis-mauigoa","40":"tag-giovanni-manu","41":"tag-houston-texans","42":"tag-indianapolis","43":"tag-jeffery-simmons","44":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","45":"tag-kayshon-boutte","46":"tag-keldric-faulk","47":"tag-kenyon-sadiq","48":"tag-kyle-williams","49":"tag-lamar-jackson","50":"tag-lane-johnson","51":"tag-las-vegas","52":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","53":"tag-logan-hall","54":"tag-los-angeles-chargers","55":"tag-los-angeles-rams","56":"tag-miami","57":"tag-miami-dolphins","58":"tag-minnesota-vikings","59":"tag-mock-draft","60":"tag-monroe-freeling","61":"tag-new-england-patriots","62":"tag-new-orleans","63":"tag-new-orleans-saints","64":"tag-new-york-giants","65":"tag-new-york-jets","66":"tag-nfl","67":"tag-nfl-scouting-combine","68":"tag-ohio-state","69":"tag-packers","70":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","71":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","72":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","73":"tag-seattle-seahawks","74":"tag-sonny-styles","75":"tag-sports","76":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","77":"tag-taylor-decker","78":"tag-tennessee-titans","79":"tag-terrance-ferguson","80":"tag-trent-williams","81":"tag-tuli-tuipulotu","82":"tag-tyler-shough","83":"tag-washington-commanders","84":"tag-william-gholston"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/508895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}