Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
Draft week is finally here. I repeat: Draft week is finally here. This is not a drill. I've read at least 300 mock drafts over the past two months, and I plan to read at least 300 more between now and the start of the draft Thursday night.
I hope you're planning to do the same, because we're throwing roughly 300 mock drafts at you today. We have a QB mock draft, a full Patriots mock draft and Ryan Wilson's special mock draft -- but I'm not going to tell you why it's special. You'll have to read on to find out. Plus, we'll also be grading the Dexter Lawrence trade.
As always, here's your reminder to tell your friends to sign up for the newsletter. Let's get to the rundown.
The Bengals pulled off an absolute shocker Saturday night by acquiring Dexter Lawrence in a trade with the Giants. It was an all-in move by a team that never quite seems to go all-in, and it makes the Bengals a true Super Bowl contender.
The Bengals also got a very manageable contract done with Lawrence. The defensive tackle agreed to a one-year, $28 million extension, and if you tack that onto the two years he already had left on his deal, the Bengals now have him under contract for an average of $23.3 million over the next three seasons. At that number, Lawrence is arguably a bargain.
Jordan Dajani graded the trade for us, and both teams fared well:
I loved this deal for the Bengals, and I explained why here.
The Lawrence trade also has a massive impact on the NFL Draft, with the Giants now holding two top-10 picks. So how will this deal shake things up? Garrett Podell broke that down here.
It's time for another edition of Mock Draft Monday, where we hunt down one of our NFL Draft gurus and force them to give you a new mock draft. There's no better way to start the week than with a fresh mock. With the draft being held this week, this is our final Mock Draft Monday of the year. I'm not crying, you're crying.
Since this is the final time we'll be doing Mock Draft Monday in 2026, we decided to add a twist: Ryan Wilson is offering picks that he thinks each team should make. In most mock drafts, you're trying to project what a team will do, but not here. In this mock, Wilson makes the pick he personally thinks each team should make.
Let's check out what he has happening in some key spots (we'll be jumping around, so this won't include every early pick).
2. Jets: EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech). Here's the thing: Is Bailey in the same class as Abdul Carter or Will Anderson Jr.? No, but that doesn't mean he's not one of the best players in the '26 class -- and certainly more of a sure bet as an edge rusher than Arvell Reese.
3. Cardinals: LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State). The Cards have taken a defensive lineman in the first round in each of the past two drafts, but the need remains for an explosive playmaker off the edge.
7. Commanders: RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame). The Commanders could go wide receiver or edge rusher here, but Love not only fills a need in the backfield, he's also a receiving threat. I love the idea of pairing him with Jayden Daniels.
9. Chiefs: S Caleb Downs (Ohio State). The Chiefs lost a lot from their secondary this offseason, and while pass rusher is also a need, Downs is a special talent.
10. Giants (via Bengals): WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State). The Giants bolstered the O-line at No. 5 in my draft (with Francis Mauigoa), so at No. 10 they get Malik Nabers a running mate and Jaxson Dart another big-play weapon.
12. Cowboys: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami). With the Bengals trading for Dexter Lawrence, Bain slips past 10 and lands in the Cowboys' lap at No. 12.
13. Rams (via Falcons): WR Makai Lemon (USC). Davante Adams and Puka Nacua both currently have contracts that expire after the 2026 season. Even if (when) that changes, adding Lemon to an already explosive offense makes plenty of sense here.
Wilson's special mock draft will be dropping later today, and once it's released, you'll be able to find it here.