The 2026 NFL Combine has come to a close, with some players seeing a rise to their draft stocks after getting a chance to impress NFL coaches and scouts in on-field drills, athletic tests, and interviews throughout the week. With those performances fresh in our minds, let’s take a guess at what round one will look like in April’s NFL Draft. For the sake of this particular mock draft, we will not be using trades. The selections here are what I think teams will do, which will undoubtedly be wrong,
so feel free to mock the mock in the comment section!
Pick 1, Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
This will be the first pick. Copy and paste for every mock draft hereon out. Tom Brady is with the ownership group, and I’m sure he’ll fall in love with a fellow Big 10 quarterback. Mendoza will step into a decent situation: current Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is now the head coach, Ashton Jeanty will be in the backfield, and Brock Bowers is an elite pass catching option.
Pick 2, New York Jets – Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
The Jets also have the 16th pick if they want a first round quarterback, so they’ll likely use this pick to improve their defense. They recently traded away a stand-up edge rusher, and Reese said that’s what he wants to be viewed as at the next level.
Pick 3, Arizona Cardinals – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
The Cardinals are another team that likely need a quarterback this offseason, but third overall is a little too high a price given the other talents available. They also desperately need offensive line help, and Fano had a very good combine performance. The tackle depth in the draft is not as good as the edge depth, so they’ll likely want to get a tackle early.
Pick 4, Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr, EDGE, Miami
Robert Saleh is a defensive guy, and he’ll definitely want to improve the Titans pass rush. Despite having shorter arms than what teams prefer in their edge rushers, Bain’s production throughout his collegiate career can’t be ignored.
Pick 5, New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
John Harbaugh is the new sheriff in town and will hopefully learn from his mistake of not providing his QB with young weapons. Malik Nabers is returning from injury, so he might need some time to get back in the swing of things. Tate can provide a jolt to the offense and be a fantastic complement to Nabers when he does return.
Pick 6, Cleveland Browns – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
The Browns are in need of a quarterback like many other teams picking this high in the draft. None of this draft’s remaining quarterbacks are worth a top six pick, so the Browns will likely decide to bolster a weak offensive line. Mauigoa is the type of lineman who instantly changes the vibe of the whole unit.
Pick 7, Washington Commanders – David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
The Commanders defense combined with injury issues for Jayden Daniels to create a very disappointing season in Washington. Dan Quinn will likely want to add some young targets for Daniels, but the Commanders’ pash rush was not great last year. Bailey slots in as one of their top threats off the edge as soon as he hits the field.
Pick 8, New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
The Saints may have found their quarterback of the future, so they will likely try to surround him with as many weapons as possible. Alvin Kamara is getting older and doesn’t have the same home run ability that Love does. Adding an explosive element to the run game would definitely help Shough continue to grow.
Pick 9, Kansas City Chiefs – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
A down year for the Chiefs led to their first top ten pick in a long time. Travis Kelce might be playing his final season, so they’ll need a succession plan for him. Mahomes also loves throwing to tight ends in general, and Sadiq was incredible at the combine during the athletic testing.
Pick 10, Cincinnati Bengals – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Bengals defense needs help at every level, and Styles has the versatility to help in a few different spots. He’s a former safety turned linebacker and showed promise as a blitzer and stand-up edge rusher last season. With his insane measurables at the combine, he’s shooting up boards.
Pick 11, Miami Dolphins – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Dolphins hired Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to be their next head coach, and Hafley will probably want to bolster the Dolphins secondary. Delane has been a consistently elite coverage corner with consistent positive grades against the run as well, perfect for a team trying to remake their defensive identity.
Pick 12, Dallas Cowboys – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
No one ever knows what Jerry Jones will do with the Cowboys. Now that George Pickens has the franchise tag, he’ll likely forego a receiver in this spot. If Downs falls to this point, I could see the Cowboys running the card in. Their defense was horrible, and Downs would at least be able to help on the back end.
Pick 13, Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Rams need help at the cornerback position, relying on young players and journeymen. McCoy is coming back from an ACL tear, but all the reports from Indianapolis make it seem like there were no red flags during his physical. He’d be an immediate upgrade for one of the best teams in the league.
Pick 14, Baltimore Ravens – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Every year it seems like the Ravens need to do more to help Lamar Jackson in terms of outside targets. Every year it seems like they mess it up. Here’s another throw at the dart board for Baltimore. I think Lemon would immediately be one of the more trusted targets for Lamar.
Pick 15, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
The Bucs need help with their pass rush, and Mesidor is one of the best in the class. With the coaching staff and front office likely on thin ice after another disappointing season, I could see them not caring about Mesidor’s age and taking the most pro-ready edge rusher in the draft.
Pick 16, New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Aaron Glenn might be a lame duck head coach, so the front office might be wary about spending a top pick on a quarterback. Instead, they should try to make the situation as tenable as possible for the eventual rookie QB. Adding Tyson will provide another element to the Jets anemic offense. Having Tyson, AD Mitchell, and Garrett Wilson would be quite the corps for a young signal caller to throw to.
Pick 17, Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
The Lions would really love someone opposite Aiden Hutchinson. While Faulk is still a bit raw, his tools are hard to ignore. Learning from Hutch and Dan Campbell and company could help Faulk put it all together. If he does manage to put it together, the rest of the NFC North would not be happy.
Pick 18, Minnesota Vikings – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
The Vikings are paying Brian Flores a lot of money to run a very good defense, and Thieneman could be the next player to really thrive under Flores. He blew away scouts at the combine, showing speed and athleticism that scouts and analysts weren’t necessarily expecting.
Pick 19, Carolina Panthers – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Freeling has been a late riser in this draft process, and that rise continued with his combine performance. He became the first player in NFL combine history to be at least 6-foot-7, 315-pounds and post a sub-5.00 40-yard dash (4.93), a vertical jump over 30 inches (33.5”) and a broad jump over nine feet (9’7”). It is starting to feel more and more like Ikem Ekwonu could miss the entire 2026 season, so the Panthers will need to protect Bryce Young’s blindside. When Ekwonu is healthy, he could kick over to RT or even slide in at one of the guard spots if needed.
Pick 20, Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers) – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Cowboys took Downs earlier this round, and they continue to invest in their secondary here. He’s a big time competitor and would add some serious grit to the Cowboys secondary. He’s not the biggest corner in the draft, but he’s a fighter.
Pick 21, Pittsburgh Steelers – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
The Mike McCarthy age begins in Pittsburgh, and whether or not Aaron Rogers is part of this new age is still yet to be determined. Regardless, Rogers won’t be playing for too much longer. Simpson started off the season white hot but struggled down the stretch. Doing the Packers method of letting him sit behind the aging former star could lead help him adjust to the NFL game.
Pick 22, Los Angeles Chargers – Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State
Another year, another offensive line need for the Chargers. Mike McDaniel is the offensive coordinator in LA now, and a strong offensive line is important for his run schemes. Ioane has the size to dominate in the run game (6’4”, 320 lbs) and is athletic enough to keep Justin Herbert clean on the interior.
Pick 23, Philadelphia Eagles – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Proctor has had a history of weight issues and showed up at the combine at “just” 352 lbs. The Eagles could follow the Mekhi Becton blueprint and move Proctor inside. If he’s able to keep the weight off, he could eventually replace Lane Johnson whenever he decides to retire.
Pick 24, Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars) – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
The Browns already took a tackle earlier this round, so they would probably want to give their young quarterback (either Shadeur Sanders or a draft pick in 2026 or 2027) a weapon to grow with. Concepcion is a nightmare to cover in tight spaces and dynamite with the ball in his hands. He also has experience running the football on sweeps and end arounds and could have a positive impact on the return game.
Pick 25, Chicago Bears – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Banks is steadily rising back up draft boards as he continues to show that his injuries appear to be completely behind him. He impressed at the senior bowl and completely demolished the combine. Health is the main concern for him, but his upside makes this feel like a steal for the Bears this late in the round.
Pick 26, Buffalo Bills – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
The Bills are in a state of flux at the moment, and Joe Brady is the new head coach. With Brady being an offensive minded guy and having his quarterback in Josh Allen, he might look to draft a quarterback of the defense. Allen fits that mold. While he struggles in pass coverage at times, he is often looked at as a perfect “green dot” linebacker at the next level.
Pick 27, San Francisco 49ers – Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
With the likely departure of Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, the 49ers receiving room goes from a strength to a weakness rather quickly. Ricker Pearsall is often injured but is a talented slot receiver. Brazzell could be the X receiver and showed off insane athleticism (4.37 forty) and physical attributes (6’4”, 198 lbs, 80 1/8 inch wingspan) at the combine.
Pick 28, Houston Texans – Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
The Texans defense is already one of the best in the league, so they need to improve on the offensive side of the ball to provide some balance. CJ Stroud looked terrible in the playoffs, so adding some protection might bring back some of his confidence.
Pick 29, Los Angeles Rams – Omar Cooper Jr, WR, Indiana
If the Rams take a corner earlier in the round, it would make sense for them to take a receiver later in the first. Puka Nakua and Davante Adams make for an elite pair, but Adams won’t be playing for too much longer. By running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and jumping 37 inches in the vertical, Cooper showed he’s more than just a technically sound, versatile receiver.
Pick 30, Denver Broncos – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
The Broncos were able to ride their defense to the AFC Championship game, but there might be losing a few guys to free agency. John Franklin-Myers is one of those guys, and he had 14.5 sacks the last two seasons for the Broncos. Peter Woods could fill that role as a pass rushing defensive lineman.
Pick 31, New England Patriots – TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
The Patriots already have a stout defense led by a great defensive head coach. That said, they were only 19th overall in pass rush win rate according to ESPN. Parker is a very good pass rusher despite his sack production falling last season. He managed a 28.6% win rate on true pass sets, showing that he was still able to generate pressure despite not sealing the deal as much.
Pick 32, Seattle Seahawks – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Many counted Boston as one of the post-combine fallers because he did not participate in much athletic testing. Still, he fits the mold of a true X receiver, which would pair really well with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle. Adding to the offense while keeping the defense strong could lead to a repeat for the Seahawks.
