This is honestly one of the toughest NFL drafts to mock that I have seen in recent memory. The class of 2026 has premium talent at what are considered “non-premium positions”, whereas the premium positions don’t really have any superstars. That makes this one difficult to project, as teams will be viewed as reaching by taking either, and there could be a ton of trades. Here is our final mock NFL draft:
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Not a whole lot of thought here – a QB-needy team takes the draft’s best QB. You could argue that he’s not the draft’s most talented player, but he’s well worth being taken #1 overall, and I think he’s a better prospect than any QB from 2025.
The internet seems to be split on whether this pick will be Reese or Texas Tech’s David Bailey, who are clearly the two best defensive prospects in this draft. Reese, with his younger age and positional versatility, fits the Jets a little better, in my opinion.
This is where the draft gets fun. The Cardinals NEED offensive line help. Do they stay at 3, and reach a bit for Mauigoa, or do they take the value with David Bailey? This combination makes the Cardinals a trade-back candidate.
I see this as being a binary draft for the Tennessee Titans — if David Bailey is on the board, you take him, and you instantly have a great edge rusher for Rob Saleh’s defense. If Bailey is gone, they take Jeremiyah Love (more on him in a minute).
If we know anything about John Harbaugh, it’s that he loves having a great middle linebacker to run his defense. Harbaugh gets his guy right here with Styles, who was not only the signal-caller for Ohio State last season, but is also a rare athlete.
It appears that the Browns, a team that has two picks in the first round, are content to wait until 2027 to draft their quarterback. They need to leave this draft with starting-caliber players at left tackle and wide receiver. This makes them a great candidate to trade down, as no players at that position would be considered a reach here. But I think they check off one of those boxes with 6’7” 350-pound athletic freak Kadyn Proctor, who should be their left tackle for the next decade.
I truly believe that this pick is the floor for where Jeremiyah Love can be drafted, and that is where I have him falling in this mock. He’s a true difference-maker at the running back position who churns out explosive plays at an inhuman rate, and should make a great offensive weapon to help Jayden Daniels.
Arguably, no team needs a wide receiver more than the New Orleans Saints. Their WR1, Chris Olave, has only been fully healthy for one season, and their depth behind him is very questionable. Tate is a dependable, solid option who should instantly slot as New Orleans’ WR2.
Mansoor Delane is the draft’s best cornerback prospect by a mile. He displayed the ability to play both man and zone, and won’t get out-athleted, and doesn’t lack technical proficiency. He’ll make a great replacement for Trent McDuffie as Kansas City looks to get back to contender status.
If we know anything about John Harbaugh, it’s that he loves having a great safety that can fly all around the field and make plays that cover up the 10 men in front of him. That’s exactly what he’ll get in Caleb Downs, who doesn’t have great athletic measurables, but is the best football player in this class when you turn on the tape.
The Miami Dolphins are a difficult team to make a mock draft for, as they have so many needs on their roster. One of those glaring needs is edge rusher, and there’s a great local prospect available in Rueben Bain Jr who should slot in nicely.
Jerry Jones has no issue drafting talented players with injury concerns. Based on his 2024 season, Jermond McCoy would have been the number one cornerback in this class. But he tore his ACL and missed the entirety of 2025, which will have a lot of teams concerned. I think Dallas is willing to take that gamble and get a super-talented player here at 12.
Jordyn Tyson is my WR1 in this class, and I think he makes for a great “Rams” wide receiver. The Rams value blocking ability and playmaking versatility more than most, and Tyson is a WR who has some “dog” in him and will fit this offense perfectly.
The Ravens’ draft philosophy has remained relatively unchanged over the last 20 years – they look to take the best player available, at a spot of value, regardless of team need or playing a premium position. This fits perfectly for “Vega” Ioane, who is by far the best interior lineman in this class, and can provide instant value as a starter on the offensive line for the Ravens.
The Buccaneers are a difficult team to mock, and Mesidor is a difficult player to project. He can play multiple spots on the defensive line, which should give him somewhere to slide in and provide value to a Bucs defense that struggled to get stops at key moments last season.
Let’s get one thing straight – Makai Lemon was the Biletnikoff Award winner last season, as the nation’s top wide receiver. But he did that by playing the way Makai Lemon plays. He operates out of the slot and excels in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He needs to go to an offense that will allow him to play the way Makai Lemon plays, and the Jets should be a great fit, as he can complement Garrett Wilson.
The offensive line is one of the obvious positions where the Lions can improve and get younger. Monroe Freeling was a productive player at Georgia and can be a franchise cornerstone player at left tackle.
The star safety out of Oregon saw his stock increase after he wowed with his athleticism at the combine. I think he’s a great fit for the Brian Flores defense, as he can play both man and zone and excels as a deep safety in cover 4.