2026 NFL Mock Draft 6.0
1. Los Angeles Raiders - Fernando Mendoza (QB/Indiana)
The one sure thing in this draft, the Raiders brought Geno Smith and Pete Carroll over from Seattle and it did not work out, resulting in Las Vegas getting the top pick in April. Mendoza had a historic season for the Hoosiers, becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner in program history as well as delivering their first national championship.
2. New York Jets - Arvell Reese (LB/Ohio State)
The quarterback-needy Jets are probably unhappy with Dante Moore’s decision to return to Oregon, but they are armed with three first-rounders next year in what is supposedly a better quarterback class (it always feels that way until the games are played). New York can take advantage of their future draft capital by building around the quarterback of the future now and treading water until the next draft class.
3. Arizona Cardinals - Rueben Bain (EDGE/Miami FL)
Arizona is going to be an interesting team to watch in this draft cycle. Their new head coach if offensive-minded and there are rumbling about the franchsie moving on from Kyler Murray, but his contract presents some hurdles and the quarterback class this year isn’t particularly strong. Instead, Arizona pivots to addressing a pass rush unit that has struggled to generate pressure over the past three seasons.
4. Tennessee Titans - Carnell Tate (WR/Ohio State)
The Titans have a number of directions they can go in, especially if Reese or Bain fall, but Tate provides an offensive weapon Cam Ward sorely missed last season. Tate is explosive and has the best ball skills of the class.
5. New York Giants - Francis Mauigoa (OT/Miami FL)
After Jaxson Dart landed in the concussion protocol a staggering five times last season, the Giants’ priority is clear: bolster the offensive line to curb Dart’s reckless playstyle and keep him upright. Mauigoa is a massive, technically sound tackle who posted an elite 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade at Miami, and while he has the ceiling of a blindside protector, his experience on the right side makes him the perfect immediate bookend to Andrew Thomas.
6. Cleveland Browns - Spencer Fano (OT/Utah)
Cleveland has a solid defense, led by Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, but their offense is problematic. I can see Cleveland trying to acquire Kyle Murray or Tua Tagovailoa to resolve their quarterback woes while building out the offense. Jordyn Tyson is an intriguing option here too.
7. Washington Commanders - David Bailey (EDGE/Texas Tech)
A transfer from Stanford, Bailey really flourished with the Red Raiders. There are some concerns about his run-stopping abilities, but he has arguably the best pass rush repertoire in the class.
8. New Orleans Saints - Jordyn Tyson (WR/Arizona State)
Tyler Shough impressed down the stretch last season and will enter 2026 as the starting quarterback. Now the Saints find themselves building around him and putting another option across from Chris Olave after a year of trade rumors circled around the receiver. Tyson has drawn comparisons to Jaxson Smith-Njigba, but his draft stock willultimately be tied to his medical evaluation.
9. Kansas City Chiefs - Jeremiyah Love (RB/Notre Dame)
With Patrick Mahomes recovering from a torn ACL that will threaten his status at the start of the season, the Chiefs will need to lean on the running game now more than ever. Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are both free agents, opening the door for Love to get a significant workload as Kansas City fights to get back into the postseason.
10. Cincinnati Bengals - Caleb Downs (S/Ohio State)
A potential steal of the draft, Downs could easily go in the top five, but slides down due to bigger needs by other teams and stays in Ohio. Cincinnati’s defense needs significant upgrades after allowing the third most points in the league last season.
11. Miami Dolphins - Mansoor Delane (CB/LSU)
Miami needs secondary help after allowing 29 touchdowns through the air and only nabbing nine interceptions. Delane surrendered just 14 receptions last season for 165 yards and did not allow a touchdown.
12. Dallas Cowboys - Sonny Styles (LB/Ohio State)
Dallas’ linebacker corps has been plagued by health issues and a lack of proven depth, leaving a massive void for a consistent, three-down anchor at the second level. Sonny Styles is a rare physical specimen who leverages his safety background to provide elite coverage range, while his transition to linebacker has yielded incredible tackling efficiency and the versatility to act as a true “chess piece” for the Cowboys’ revamped defense.
13. Los Angeles Rams - Jermod McCoy (CB/Tennessee)
The Rams’ secondary has been a rotating door of veteran stop-gaps and inconsistent youngsters, leaving them desperate for a true lockdown presence to anchor Chris Shula’s defense. McCoy is another talented player whose draft stock ultimately depends on his medicals as he mssed the 2025 season with an ACL injury.
14. Baltimore Ravens - Keldric Faulk (EDGE/Auburn)
Baltimore’s pass rush hit a historic low in 2025, failing to produce a single defender with more than five sacks and leaving the unit in dire need of a foundational piece for new head coach Jesse Minter’s defense. Faulk is a massive, 285-pound physical force who fits the “Ravens Way” perfectly, utilizing his elite length and violent hand usage to dominate as a run defender while offering the frame versatility to slide inside and disrupt the pocket.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Kenyon Sadiq (TE/Oregon)
With Cade Otton heading toward free agency and the offense lacking a high-ceiling playmaker in the middle of the field, Tampa Bay desperately needs a vertical threat to stress modern NFL secondaries. Sadiq is seen as a three-down, scheme-proof tight end who would be an immediate contributor.
16. New York Jets - Makai Lemon (WR/USC)
After getting an edge rusher with their first pick, they grab an offensive weapon later in the first round. Lemon is a bit undersized, but has drawn comparisons to Amon-ra St. Brown and would be a solid complementary piece to Garrett Wilson.
17. Detroit Lions - Aveion Terrell (CB/Clemson)
Detroit’s secondary was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play from its younger core in 2025, leaving the defense desperate for a “lockdown” technician to stabilize the perimeter opposite Terrion Arnold. Terrell follows in the footsteps of his All-Pro brother, A.J. Terrell, boasting elite hip fluidity and sticky man-coverage traits, but he adds a rare layer of aggression that allowed him to set Clemson school records for forced fumbles as a defensive back.
18. Minnesota Vikings - Denzel Boston (WR/Washington)
Jordan Addison has struggled to stay out of trouble in his NFL career and was inconsistent in 2025. It is not a guarantee that the Vikings pick up his fifth-year option this spring. Instead, they could pivot to Denzel Boston, whose skillset is the antithesis of Addison. Boston is big-bodied and a red zone threat.
19. Carolina Panthers - Peter Woods (DL/Clemson)
Carolina’s defensive front has struggled to find a consistent interior disruptor to complement their edge rushers, often leaving the unit vulnerable to power running schemes and clean pockets for opposing QBs. Woods is a “freak” athlete who possesses a rare sub-4.9 forty-yard dash at 315 pounds, allowing him to use elite lateral quickness and a violent first step to wreck plays before they even develop.
20. Dallas Cowboys - Cashius Howell (EDGE/Texas A&M)
The Cowboys double down on their defensive renovation, seeking to revitalize a pass-rushing unit that became too predictable following Micah Parsons’ departure. Howell is an explosive “finesse” rusher with an elite first step and a flexible frame that allows him to dip under tackles, providing the immediate vertical pressure Dallas needs to recreate their formerly dominant defensive identity.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Ty Simpson (QB/Alabama)
I think the Steelers ultimately land a veteran, whether it is another year of Aaron Rodgers or someone like Mac Jones, who San Francisco is insisting will remain with the team. But until that happens, quarterback is a need. Simpson looked like he was int he mix to go first overall in the first half of last season before poor play down the stretch hurt him, but he showed plenty of promise that he can flourish in the right situation.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Olaivavega Ioane (IOL/Penn State)
Poor play on the offensive line was the Chargers Achilles heel in 2025, exacerbated by injuries to tackle Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. Ioane is a massive, 330-pound “human block of granite” who didn’t allow a single sack during his final year at Penn State, offering the elite anchor and “mauling” run-blocking presence essential for Jim Harbaugh’s physical offensive philosophy.
23. Philadelphia Eagles - Kadyn Proctor (OT/Alabama)
The Eagles long time offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, left the team after this season and both Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson are contemplating retirement. With so much potential turnover that should become more clear in the coming weeks, Philadelphia lands Johnson’s replacement in a big-bodied tackle in Proctor.
24. Cleveland Browns - T.J. Parker (EDGE/Clemson)
With the aging of veteran anchors and a desperate need for a secondary pass-rushing threat to take the heat off Myles Garrett, Cleveland must inject youth and power into their defensive front. Parker is a “high-floor” technician who combines violent hand usage with elite functional strength, having set Clemson records for forced fumbles while proving he can effectively collapse the pocket from both the edge and interior alignments.
25. Chicago Bears - Caleb Banks (DL/Florida)
The Bears enter the 2026 draft needing to overhaul an interior defensive line that ranked near the bottom of the league in rush defense and lacked a consistent pass-rushing partner for Gervon Dexter. Banks is a massive, 6-foot-6, 330-pound “freak” who essentially secured his first-round status with a dominant 2026 Senior Bowl performance, showcasing the rare lateral quickness and explosive first step required to play multiple techniques across Chicago’s front.
26. Buffalo Bills - Kevin Concepcion (WR/Texas A&M)
Buffalo needs to find weapons for Josh Allen outside of the patch job they have been doing since Stefon Diggs left the team. Keon Coleman has not produced as expected and was even a healthy scratch in several games last season. Concepcion is a dynamic, “Deebo-esque” playmaker who led the SEC in receiving touchdowns in 2025; he offers elite short-area quickness and vision that make him a nightmare after the catch and a versatile weapon across the formation.
27. San Francisco 49ers - Caleb Lomu (OT/Utah)
San Francisco could lose Trent Williams to retirement this offseason. Replacing him could be Lomu, who does not have the traditional “bruiser” strength you expect to see out of a left tackle, but wins with stellar footwork and finesse. He projects to excel in a zone blocking scheme like what Kyle Shannahan’s offense operates.
28. Houston Texans - Kayden McDonald (DL/Ohio State)
While Houston’s edge rush is lethal, the interior defensive line faces a depth crisis with Tim Settle Jr. hitting free agency and Mario Edwards Jr. recovering from a major pectoral injury. McDonald is a 326-pound “wrecking ball” who earned the highest run-defense grade in the country last season, utilizing elite natural leverage and “heavy hands” to reset the line of scrimmage and collapse pockets from the 0-technique.
29. Los Angeles Rams - Monroe Feeling (OT/Georgia)
Protecting Matthew Stafford is the paramount priority as he enters his 18th season, especially after the offensive line’s breakdown in 2025 led to frequent hits on the veteran signal-caller. Freeling is a towering 6-foot-7 protector who anchored the Georgia line with an elite 85.7 PFF pass-blocking grade, offering the rare combination of an 84-inch wingspan and the fluid athleticism required to neutralize elite NFL speed rushers on either side of the line.
30. Denver Broncos - C.J. Allen (LB/Georgia)
While Denver boasted a top-five defense in 2025, the middle of the field remained a vulnerability as veteran Alex Singleton struggled in coverage and the unit lacked a true “green dot” leader for the future. Allen is a high-IQ, downhill thumper who blossomed into the heart of Georgia’s defense, offering elite diagnostic skills and a “throwback” physicality that makes him the draft’s premier run-stuffer and a Day 1 defensive signal-caller.
31. New England Patriots - Akheem Mesidor (EDGE/Miami FL)
Mesidor is a violent, high-motor disruptor who exploded for 12.5 sacks in 2025, helping give Miami one of the NCAA’s most lethal pass rush units. He combines elite upper-body strength with the positional versatility to shade inside as a 3-technique or dominate from a wide-5 alignment.
32. Seattle Seahawks - Brandon Cisse (CB/South Carolina)
With Riq Woolen entering a contract year and Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme demanding versatile, high-IQ athletes in the secondary, Seattle secures a premier talent to pair with Devon Witherspoon. Cisse is an ascending “lockdown” technician who allowed a completion percentage under 40% in 2025; he combines elite 100-meter track speed with an aggressive, “A-rated” run-support mentality that fits the physical identity of the Seahawks’ defense. Cisse could see his stock skyrocket if he has a good combine.
