We\u2019re finally here; it\u2019s the week of the 2026 NFL Draft. Rumors have been flying and now we finally see what a year\u2019s worth of scouting work leads to. As always, my mocks will be free of trade ups. I don\u2019t know what teams are thinking in terms of value and moving around the board and I\u2019m not going to try and guess.<\/p>\n
Pick #1 – Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana<\/p>\n
This one is locked in. The Raiders get the guy they hope will be their franchise QB in Mendoza. Only time will tell if this is the correct pick, but the Raiders lack of OL and WRs doesn\u2019t scream ready for a young quarterback. Still, you have to swing and hope you hit.<\/p>\n
Pick #2 – New York Jets: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard all the David Bailey rumors, and I don\u2019t buy them at all. They read much more like a smokescreen from other teams in the league hoping to convince the Jets to let Reese fall. Aaron Glenn\u2019s draft history is consistent – young players with toughness and run defense. That fits Reese to a tee and is the complete opposite of Bailey.<\/p>\n
As for how Reese looks for the Jets, Micah Parsons is the guy who\u2019s most commonly comped, but I prefer another one. Former Packers OLB Clay Matthews played a hybrid role throughout his career, dominating as both a pass rusher and an off-ball linebacker, filling both roles depending on the game plan. I expect Reese to fill a similar role, plugging the hole at either position depending on what the game calls for at that moment.<\/p>\n
Pick #3 – Arizona Cardinals: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami<\/p>\n
This pick has been the subject of much debate regarding trades. I still feel that someone probably trades up for David Bailey or Sonny Styles here, but if the Cardinals keep this pick, I think they go offensive line. The top OL in this class is Francis Mauigoa, who will play RT opposite of Paris Johnson.<\/p>\n
Pick #4 – Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n
This one has been around since the Combine, and I think it\u2019s true. Robert Saleh wants to run the ball, and Brian Daboll spent the majority of his head coaching career with an elite running back in Saquon Barkley. How do they best help Cam Ward? Get him an elite talent at running back to take the pressure off.<\/p>\n
Pick #5 – New York Giants: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<\/p>\n
Sonny Styles is a special player and arguably the best overall talent in this draft class. An elite athlete, a sure tackler, and a good coverage backer, there\u2019s little to nothing that Styles can\u2019t do on the field. There will be questions about the value of an off-ball linebacker in the modern NFL, but Harbaugh has never cared about that.<\/p>\n
Pick #6 – Cleveland Browns: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had the Browns going offensive line here for months. I\u2019m changing that now. With Francis Mauigoa already off the board and no left tackle worth taking here, the Browns look to attack WR early instead. Though I will say that in this scenario, the Browns\u2019 trading down is a very real possibility.<\/p>\n
Pick #7 – Washington Commanders: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech<\/p>\n
The Washington Commanders reportedly want to trade out of this spot. The Jets and Cowboys are two who make sense here, trading up for WR or EDGE, respectively. With no trades in this mock, though, the Commanders instead take David Bailey, who\u2019s fallen into their lap here.<\/p>\n
Pick #8 – New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State<\/p>\n
The Saints need to build out their offense for Tyler Shough. Jordyn Tyson does appear to be fully healthy now, which means a top 10 pick for him feels like a lock.<\/p>\n
Pick #9 – Kansas City Chiefs: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami<\/p>\n
Bain falls here not because of talent, but because of his short arms. He would help a very weak Chiefs pass rush, and especially help set the edge against the run, where he should be an impact guy immediately.<\/p>\n
Pick #10 – New York Giants: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State<\/p>\n
The Giants surely were debating which Ohio State defender to take at 5, and it turns out they got both. Caleb Downs, like Styles, has an argument for being the best player in this class. But questions about his athleticism and his positional value cause him to fall. Not unlike a previous Harbaugh pick, Kyle Hamilton.<\/p>\n
Pick #11 – Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU<\/p>\n
Jeff Hafley is happy to scoop up the top cornerback in the class at 11 and start the rebuild of a Dolphins defense that is among the worst in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Pick #12 – Dallas Cowboys: Keldrick Faulk, EDGE, Auburn<\/p>\n
This is a worst-case scenario for Dallas. They stay put and miss out on all of their top targets. Styles, Bain, and Downs are all gone. But Jerry Jones and company have never been afraid of \u201coverdrafting\u201d a player that they think will be a fit for them. In this case, that\u2019s Faulk, an elite run defender on the edge who needs work as a pass rusher.<\/p>\n
Pick #13 – Los Angeles Rams: Makai Lemon, WR, USC<\/p>\n
The Rams don\u2019t care how much of a head case Makai Lemon supposedly is. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are both headcases themselves. They have the coaching and veteran leadership to deal with whatever personality-driven questions there are here. Unlike other teams picking this high, the Rams can feel confident they have the infrastructure to add an top-end player without worrying about how he\u2019ll affect the locker room.<\/p>\n
Pick #14 – Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State<\/p>\n
The Ravens have arguably the worst interior offensive line in the NFL. Here they add the best interior offensive line prospect in the draft. As clean and easy a fit as any prospect and team in the draft.<\/p>\n
Pick #15 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami<\/p>\n
Akheem Mesidor\u2019s age is going to score some teams off, but not the Bucs. Todd Bowles and his team are trying to win a division and get themselves back into contention. Adding a player who\u2019s ceiling may not be that high, but who they know should be an immediate impact off the edge feels like the right choice.<\/p>\n
Pick #16 – New York Jets: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure what the medical on McCoy\u2019s knee looks like. All I know is that based on talent coming into the year McCoy was a top-5 player. His athletic testing, despite the torn ACL, was off the charts as well. If the medical team clears him, McCoy is without a doubt the top player left on the board here. Meanwhile, the Jets turn their attention to WR in the second round.<\/p>\n
Pick #17 – Detroit Lions: Spencer Fano, T, Utah<\/p>\n
The Lions take Fano who\u2019s talent is better than this draft slot. With Penei Sewell reportedly moving over to LT this season, the Lions are in need of a RT to replace him. Fano should slot in nicely for a team that needs an elite offensive line to play their style of football.<\/p>\n
Pick #18 – Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon<\/p>\n
The Vikings\u2019 safeties have been decimated by free agency and retirement. Thieneman comes in and will immediately replace Harrison Smith on the back end as a Day 1 starter and the best deep safety in this class.<\/p>\n
Pick #19 – Carolina Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon<\/p>\n
A team may view Sadiq\u2019s sky-high potential as being worth taking way before this pick. Honestly, I wouldn\u2019t be that shocked if he went in the back half of the top 10. But positional value and the traditional learning curve at TE, which is steep, forces Sadiq down to the Panthers here, who could use a major upgrade at the position.<\/p>\n
Pick #20 – Dallas Cowboys: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia<\/p>\n
The Cowboys continue to build up their run defense with a heat seeking tackling maching in CJ Allen. I also wouldn\u2019t be surprised if they traded this pick much earlier in the night as part of a trade up from 12.<\/p>\n
Pick #21 – Pittsburgh Steelers: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana<\/p>\n
The Steelers added to their WR room this offseason with Michael Pittman joining DK Metcalf. However, they could still afford to add youth to that room. Cooper would slot in nicely as an underneath target with YAC ability in the slot.<\/p>\n
Pick #22 – Los Angeles Chargers: Emmanuel McNeil Warren, S, Toledo<\/p>\n
The Chargers are currently trusting Tony Jefferson as a starter for next season. The already once retired safety is too old to hold onto the position for long. McNeil Warren would provide youth and size that\u2019s rare at the position.<\/p>\n
Pick #23 – Philadelphia Eagles: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington<\/p>\n
AJ Brown is pretty much a lock to be traded. If the Eagles are still serious about contending for a Super Bowl they\u2019ll need to replace him with year one impact. Bringing in Boston, and his size, provides a red zone threat and a possession receiver to play next to the slimmer and more explosive DeVonta Smith.<\/p>\n
Pick #24 – Cleveland Browns: Monroe Freeling, T, Georgia<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a very real chance that Freeling is off the board by this point given the value of the offensive line, even if other teams have more pressing needs. However, in this scenario the Browns end up in the lucky situation that the very high ceiling left tackle from Georgia remains on the board here.<\/p>\n
Pick #25 – Chicago Bears: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
The Bears need some juice in their pass rush with little to nothing going on opposite of Montez Sweat. Yes, Howell has the shortest arms of any EDGE in the history of the NFL, but he\u2019s more than proven he can still win reps despite that.<\/p>\n
Pick #26 – Buffalo Bills: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
The Bills take the hometown kid, Concepcion grew up a Bills fan in Rochester, NY. An elite route runner with great first-step quickness, he\u2019ll make a great pairing with a similar receiver in Khalil Shakir for Josh Allen.<\/p>\n
Pick #27 – San Francisco 49ers: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama<\/p>\n
The 49ers need a future replacement for the 38 year old Trent Williams. Proctor can come in and learn from the future Hall of Famer for a season before taking over the role in 2027.<\/p>\n
Pick #28 – Houston Texans: Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
The Texans interior offensive line is a mess. Bisontis is arguably the second-best IOL in the class and has been generating first round buzz for a little while now.<\/p>\n
Pick #29 – Kansas City Chiefs: Blake Miller, T, Clemson<\/p>\n
The Chiefs have had issues at both tackle spots since Orlando Brown Jr. left. This year they attack the position in the first round with Miller, who can take over at RT for the underperforming Jaylon Moore.<\/p>\n
Pick #30 – Miami Dolphins: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville<\/p>\n
If not for a torn ACL, Bell would have been in the conversation to be drafted much earlier than this. However, he\u2019s mostly languished as a second round pick in mock drafts because of the injury. However, with the way this draft has fallen the Dolphins don\u2019t really have a better choice here considering they are in desperate need of WR help.<\/p>\n
Pick #31 – New England Patriots: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech<\/p>\n
Jacob Rodriguez was the best linebacker in college football last year. The only reason he\u2019s not going in the top-half of this class is his age and the overall positional value. Mike Vrable, a linebacker himself, won\u2019t care about that.<\/p>\n
Pick #32 – Seattle Seahawks: Aveion Terrell, CB, Clemson<\/p>\n
The Seahawks need to replace Riq Woolen who left in free agency. Terrell is the best corner left on the board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re finally here; it\u2019s the week of the 2026 NFL Draft. Rumors have been flying and now we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":204293,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9,11,52188,40751,42018,10],"class_list":["post-204292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-jets-analysis","tag-new-york-jets-draft","tag-new-york-jets-mock-draft","tag-new-york-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}