The NFL Draft is now just two weeks away! Teams have some new faces and filled some roster holes, so let’s take a guess at what round one will look like. For the sake of this particular mock draft, we WILL be using trades. Trade valuations will be based on multiple draft value charts. 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
Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V from every other mock draft since the National Championship
game.
Pick 2, New York Jets – Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
The Jets traded away a young edge defender, so they need some pass rush help. Reese provides versatility for Aaron Glenn and company in the front seven.
Pick 3, Dallas Cowboys (via Arizona Cardinals) – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame **TRADE**
The Cardinals like the first round depth at offensive tackle, so they’re willing to slide down a bit here. The Cowboys give up 12, 20, and 152 to move up to 3 and 65. The Cowboys look back fondly on the days when they had a dominant ground game and add a dynamic player to line up behind Dak Prescott.
Pick 4, Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr, Miami (FL)
The Titans spent some money overhauling their defensive line and secondary. They could still use some playmakers on the edge, and Bain could step right in and make waves opposite Jermaine Johnson II.
Pick 5, New York Giants – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Giants added some offensive help by way of fullback, tight end, and slot receiver. John Harbaugh knows that stopping the run is extremely important (especially now that the Cowboys have Love), so he goes with the Buckeyes’ linebacker.
Pick 6, Cleveland Browns – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Cleveland added several offensive linemen, including a right tackle, so I’m not sure Mauigoa goes to the Browns here. Instead, they add a pass catcher for whichever quarterback ends up starting for them.
Pick 7, Washington Commanders – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Commanders add the best player available in Downs, a do-it-all safety who should help the back end of their porous defense.
Pick 8, New Orleans Saints – David Bailey, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Saints may have found their quarterback of the future, so they will likely try to solidify their defense. Bailey got after the quarterback better than anyone in college football last season, so he’d be tough to pass up here.
Pick 9, Kansas City Chiefs – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Chiefs saw their secondary get raided this offseason (mostly by the Rams), so they’ll look to replace McDuffie and Watson with their first of two first rounders.
Pick 10, Arizona Cardinals (via Cincinnati Bengals) – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah **TRADE**
The Cardinals thought the Dolphins might go tackle here, so they sent 12 and 104 to the Bengals to get first dibs on the tackle they prefer.
Pick 11, Miami Dolphins – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
Miami has had a fire sale this offseason, building from the ground up. Best place to start a rebuild is in the trenches.
Pick 12, Cincinnati Bengals (via Arizona Cardinals via Dallas Cowboys) – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
The Bengals picked up a day three pick and still took the player they would have two picks earlier. Here, they are betting on last season being a fluke from Woods.
Pick 13, Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Rams needed help at corner, but they made a couple big moves to address that position with former Chiefs players. Now they can focus on other needs, like giving Matt Stafford another weapon in his arsenal. While Puka Nacua and DaVante Adams are great, Lemon would add another versatile piece to the Rams offense.
Pick 14, Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State
Though the Ravens signed John Simpson in free agency, they still need to beef up the interior of their offensive line. Just about every mock draft I’ve seen also has the Ravens taking Ioane here, and where there’s smoke there’s usually fire.
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) – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
After trading for Geno Smith, the Jets could let Simpson sit for a year or two and learn the NFL a la Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, etc. Worried that the Steelers might nab him, the Jets go ahead and take Simpson here.
Pick 17, Detroit Lions – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Dan Campbell openly toyed with the idea of moving Penei Sewell to left tackle. This would allow Proctor to play the right side and be a mauler from day one.
Pick 18, Chicago Bears (via Minnesota Vikings) – Jordan Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Bears decide to make a move to replace DJ Moore, paying a premium to trade with a division rival (25, 60, and 89 for 18 and 97). If Tyson is healthy, he immediately makes the Bears young receiving trio one of the best in the league.
Pick 19, Carolina Panthers – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
The Panthers addressed nearly all their needs in free agency, signing big name players to positions where they needed reinforcements. One spot they are a bit thin is safety, especially deep safety. After bringing back Nick Scott, the Panthers draft his heir apparent.
Pick 20, Arizona Cardinals (via Dallas Cowboys via Green Bay Packers) – Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
The are in full rebuild mode, so they don’t mind waiting on the very young and green Keldric Faulk to develop.
Pick 21, Pittsburgh Steelers – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
Mike McCarthy looks to get Pittsburgh back to the feared defense it once was by bringing in the dynamic run stuffing linebacker from Georgia.
Pick 22, Los Angeles Chargers – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Chargers have other needs on defense, but they end up grabbing a guy who likely would have been a top ten pick if he wasn’t coming off a major knee injury.
Pick 23, Philadelphia Eagles – TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Philadelphia can’t take a Georgia defender without reaching here, but they end up with a highly productive edge rusher anyway. Parker had a bit of a down year, so they’re banking on him rebounding to his previous more disruptive version.
Pick 24, Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars) – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
The Browns already took a receiver earlier this round, so they would probably want to give their young quarterback (either Shadeur Sanders or a draft pick in 2026 or 2027) some protection as well. Freeling is a bit of a projection but could end up being a franchise left tackle down the road.
Pick 25, Minnesota Vikings (via Chicago Bears) – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
Replacing Harrison Smith is no small task, and EMW is not the player Smith was. However, Brian Flores would be the best coach to truly unlock EMW’s potential as a box/intermediate safety.
Pick 26, Kansas City Chiefs (via Buffalo Bills) – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon **TRADE**
The Chiefs send pick 29 from the Rams and pick 109 to the Bills here to jump the 49ers and take the best offensive weapon at tight end in the Draft. Kelce is likely in his last season, so Sadiq will be able to learn from one of the best before taking on a full role.
Pick 27, San Francisco 49ers – Omar Cooper Jr, WR, Indiana
The 49ers are completely revamping their receiving corps this offseason, and Cooper would be a perfect fit for the scheme and personality of the 49ers.
Pick 28, Houston Texans – Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
The Texans perennially need help on the offensive line, this year needing help at guard. Bisontis has a ton of starting experience against SEC competition, so he can step in Day One at one of the guard spots protecting CJ Stroud.
Pick 29, Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs via Los Angeles Rams) – Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Bills added DJ Moore in a trade with the Bears, so they likely won’t go receiver here. They do need to upgrade their pass rush, and Howell is the type of quick twitch rusher that can wreck games.
Pick 30, Miami Dolphins (via Denver Broncos) – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
The Dolphins signed Malik Willis then got rid of most of their good offensive players. To keep Willis happy, they’ve taken a tackle and now add an exceptional separator and YAC monster.
Pick 31, New York Giants (via New England Patriots) – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Giants and John Harbaugh are serious about revamping their defense. After taking Sonny Styles in the top five, they send 37, 135, and a third rounder next year to the Patriots to take one of the higher IQ corners in the Draft while securing a fifth year option on him.
Pick 32, Seattle Seahawks – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
The Seahawks got poached quite a bit this offseason, including letting Riq Woolen walk in free agency. While they still have two very good corners, they like to play a lot of nickel, and Hood has the physical mentality that Seattle loves.
