NFL Mock Draft 4.0
Please check out my Substack for my Big Board and positional rankings, all being posted in the days and weeks leading up to the draft.
It’s the week of the draft, and here is the first of two mock drafts I’ll be posting before Thursday’s festivities. Up first is MY mock draft. This is not what I think teams will do; it’s what I would do based on my Big Board, which I will be posting in full later this week on my Substack (link above). I have considered team need here as well, but it’s mostly just a fun exercise to find the best team fits and value for my favourite prospects in the 2026 draft class.
#1 Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Seriously, the Raiders will not even need the full (and newly shortened) time to turn in the card. Mendoza carries a Top-10 grade for me and plays the most important position in the sport.
#2 New York Jets: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Bailey is the best edge rusher on my board. All he does is get after the QB, and he was one of the most prolific bag-getters in the FBS in 2025, leading Texas Tech all the way to the CFP. The Jets traded away Jermaine Johnson and lack juice off the edge. That changes with this pick.
#3 Arizona Cardinals: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
The Cardinals’ projected starter right now at right tackle is… Elijah Wilkinson. Really? Ok, well let’s not complicate things and give them the best right tackle and overall offensive lineman on my board and worry about needs at QB and linebacker later.
#4 Tennessee Titans: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
Tennessee made some solid moves on defense this offseason. I like Jermaine Johnson and Alontae Taylor, while John Franklin-Myers adds another steady hand along the defensive line. While the RB is intriguing, Reese could be the final piece to help the Titans become a much-improved defense under Robert Saleh in 2025.
#5 New York Giants: Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami
The right side of the Giants offensive line at the moment is Jermaine Eluemunor and Daniel Faalele. They need an upgrade and badly if they are to keep Jaxson Dart upright. Mauigoa is my number 2 offensive tackle and can play almost anywhere along the line.
#6 Cleveland Browns: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
Cleveland has Myles Garrett on one side, who perennially seems to want out and Alex Wright, who has outplayed his draft position, but is hardly a game-changer at the position. Off the field and arm length concerns aside, Bain Jr. represents value at this pick and could form a dynamic duo with the reigning DPOY.
#7 Washington Commanders: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
This is just too juicy to pass up. A backfield of Jayden Daniels and Jeremiyah Love with ‘Scary Terry’ running routes on the outside. Sign me up for watching the Commanders' offense on Redzone in 2026.
#8 New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
This is a team with surprisingly few glaring needs despite picking in the top 10 of an NFL draft. I may not be Tyler Shough’s biggest fan, but the Saints seem all-in with him. Fair enough, then, go get him a weapon to complement Chris Olave, one of the more underrated wideouts in the league. Yes, I know Tyson is injured a lot, but his skillset is too valuable to pass up for me.
#9 Kansas City Chiefs: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Imagining Caleb Downs in the Steve Spagnuolo defense makes me shudder. Kansas City lost Bryan Cook in free agency, along with seemingly every other DB who made any money on the team (or was hoping to). Downs is a natural leader and would immediately upgrade whatever position the Chiefs put him in the secondary.
#10 New York Giants (from Cincinnati Bengals): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
If the board falls like this for the Giants, then there could be billboards in the Big Apple saying “Dexter Who?”. In all seriousness, Styles is getting compared to Fred Warner, and while that is unfair to him, he might be one of the better pure off-ball linebacker prospects we’ve seen in recent memory. Getting him at #10 is a steal for Big Blue.
#11 Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Miami has needs everywhere. I could have given them a pass rusher, offensive lineman or wide receiver here. But I opted for corner, a position that the Dolphins really struggled at in 2025, whether that be injury or poor play. By contrast, Delane had a magnificent season for the Tigers and would immediately step in as CB1 in South Beach.
#12 Dallas Cowboys: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
McCoy didn’t play a down in 2025 due to a torn ACL, but he ran a 4.38 at his Pro Day, so it seems his stock has landed squarely back where it was before the 2025 season: in the top 15. The cupboard isn’t completely bare for Dallas at the position with Shavon Revel Jr, DaRon Bland and former Rams CB, Cobie Durant, but McCoy presents more upside than any of those names.
#13 Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons): Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Rams will almost certainly move on from Davante Adams after the 2026 season. Puka Nacua also doesn’t have a contract beyond next season, with his off-the-field issues complicating matters for the Rams. Let’s make it simple and get them the best receiver left on the board. Lemon is the best slot receiver in the class and will provide another safety blanket for Stafford.
#14 Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
Vega is arguably the cleanest offensive line prospect in this class. 3 years of excellent play at a premier school in a premier conference at any position could get you selected early in an NFL draft. Baltimore decides to pull the trigger here and get the best player left on the board, regardless of position.
#15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
Faulk is probably the wildcard of the edge class. Coming into the season with Top-5 grades, he didn’t make the leap statistically that many expected. I still saw 1st-round tape when I watched him in 2025, and I’m betting the Buccaneers will feel the same way and take him at #15.
#16 New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts): Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Probably a shocker for some that I have Cooper Jr. here and not Carnell Tate, but I like the Hoosier a little more than the Buckeye. The Jets’ WR room has Garrett Wilson and AD Mitchell, the latter of whom can be unreliable. I’d take the ever-reliable Indiana weapon and turn the receiver position into a real strength for Gang Green.
#17 Detroit Lions: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
This is one of the easier picks in Round 1. Freeling has starter traits and tape to back it up. The Lions badly need a left tackle. Putting two and two together here makes almost too much sense that I wanted to go mad and give them a WR just because. But I held my ground and gave them the obvious choice.
#18 Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
I promise I am not just replacing one athletic white guy at safety with another one. The Thieneman-to-Minnesota rumours have been heating up since the Combine, and it’s not hard to see why. The former Purdue and Oregon man is a phenomenal athlete and would fill a massive need for the Vikings with the (likely) impending retirement of Harrison Smith.
#19 Carolina Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq: TE, Oregon
Carolina shored up its offensive tackle need following the injury to Ikem Ekwonu with Rasheed Walker in Free Agency; otherwise, I would have been tempted to slot Kadyn Proctor here. As it is, I’ve gone for the #1 TE in the class and supreme athlete, Kenyon Sadiq. Sadiq runs routes like a wide receiver and can block with the best in the class, providing a diverse weapon in what is a big year for Bryce Young.
#20 Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers): T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
Parker didn’t live up to the billing until the final game of the 2025 season vs South Carolina. Neither did Clemson in general, and he’s not the only former Tiger to have had his stock diminish as a result. I still believe in the former 5-star recruit and think the Cowboys could do a lot worse than plug him in their new 3-4 defense under Christian Parker and let him get to work.
#21 Pittsburgh Steelers: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
As I mentioned earlier, I am not the biggest Carnell Tate fan. But the value at 21 would be too much to pass up for the Steelers, who did pick up Michael Pittman Jr., but that’s not likely to be enough in Mike McCarthy’s West Coast offense. Tate would be a dynamic addition to a team seemingly all-in behind a 42-year-old QB.
#22 Los Angeles Chargers: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Woods is another of the Clemson bunch who has seen his draft stock plummet. He is still the best defensive lineman on my board, and while the Chargers have gotten solid work from the likes of Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell, I think an upgrade is in order along that line, which Woods would provide.
#23 Philadelphia Eagles: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
The Eagles regressed last year and lost a disappointing Wild Card game at home to the Niners. There were several reasons, but for me, the Eagles’ biggest issue in 2025 was that I just didn’t think they won the line of scrimmage as consistently as they have in the past. Proctor is a mountain of a man and could slot in at guard initially, with a longer-term move to tackle once Lane Johnson or Jordan Mailata move on.
#24 Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars): Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
The Browns picked up Rueben Bain Jr. earlier in this draft, and with no receiver jumping off the page, they opt to continue shoring up the lines. Caleb Lomu forced his teammate Fano to the right side due to his play, and could be a real diamond in the rough of this tackle class. Dawand Jones is fine at left tackle, but has had weight and consistency issues, so Cleveland could be looking to find his replacement sooner rather than later.
#25 Chicago Bears: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
I went with McDonald in my Mock Draft 3.0, so why change now? The Bears need to get better against the run, ranking in the bottom-10 in most statistical categories. While Woods is my DT1, McDonald is the best run-stopper in the group. He’ll be a fan favourite in Chicago or Indiana, or wherever the Bears will be playing their home games.
#26 Buffalo Bills: Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
The Bills picked up Bradley Chubb to play on the edge, but that shouldn’t dissuade them from dipping again at the position. Howell is undersized, but he gets after the QB at a rapid rate, even sacking the QB 3 plays in a row vs Utah State this past season. Howell still carries a 1st-round grade for me, despite his historically short arm length, but we see consistently that sack production travels from college to the pros.
#27 San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
There is nothing shorter QBs like more than a big wide receiver who wins contested catches at a high rate. Enter Denzel Boston, whom I compared to Tetairoa McMillan in my scouting report. He is not as dynamic as McMillan, but he could feast in the Shanahan offense, and eventually take the WR1 reins from free agent signing Mike Evans.
#28 Houston Texans: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Houston did shore up the right side of their line, signing former divisional foe Braden Smith. But Smith has missed some time over the past 2 seasons, albeit for good reason, and is only signed to a 2-year contract. Given Smith just turned 30 last month, the Texans could take out an insurance policy here by picking up the raw but talented Iheanachor to sit for a year and take over when the time comes.
#29 Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams): Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
The Chiefs have to protect Patrick Mahomes next season if they are to have any chance of getting back in contention. Miller is the best offensive lineman left on the board and fits a need, as I don’t believe Jaylon Moore is the long-term answer at right tackle. Back-to-back tackles in the first round is rich, and maybe WR or CB could be the pick here. I already put Downs to Kansas City earlier in the round, and I just don’t like the receiver options available to me here. So, the athletic Miller is the pick.
#30 Miami Dolphins (from Denver Broncos): Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF
The Dolphins edge rusher room consists of Chop Robinson, who I like, and then some fairly bargain pickups in free agency like David Ojabo and Josh Uche. Names like Bradley Chubb and Jalean Phillips have long since left Miami, and they begin to rebuild the room back again here with the pick of Lawrence. The former UCF man is getting a lot of buzz and deservedly so, as he had some dominant displays in 2025.
#31 New England Patriots: Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Good for the Patriots and Will Campbell not bowing to the pressure to move him inside, even though he’s been a left tackle his whole life and was drafted to be one in the top 5. Right tackle is still a need, but there are none left that would fit the bill here, so they take one of the highest floor defensive prospects in Mesidor. When push comes to shove, I think the former West Virginia transfer goes higher than this, but given he just turned 25, late in Round 1 might be a better place for him to go to a contender and be a versatile chess piece along the D-line.
#32 Seattle Seahawks: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The rich get richer as Seattle picks up my highest-rated player left and third-highest rated CB in Terrell. He isn’t the biggest guy in the class, but plays like he is and could be an absolute terror in Mike McDonald’s defense. The younger Terrell (brother is AJ, current Falcon) has a nose for the football and would represent excellent value at pick 32.