We’re less than a month away from the 2026 NFL Draft, which signals the return of Meche’s Mock Drafts. The craze of Free Agency has cooled down after a couple of weeks of big-time moves, and it’s now time to figure out how this draft class will shake out.
- Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza – QB – Indiana
There isn’t much chalk in this draft, but one of the few guarantees is that Fernando Mendoza will be taken with the first overall pick. The Ty Simpson talk won’t affect this pick. - New York Jets – Arvell Reese – LB – Ohio St.
The Jets need to reload their front seven, and they already brought back Demario Davis, so he can end his career where it started. The idea is that either New York will take Reese or Bailey, and I lean towards the former Buckeye. - Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa – OT – Miami
Arizona is in a peculiar spot for me. There are so many directions they could go, including quarterback, but it’s not likely they’d take someone like Simpson or Nussmeier this early. Grabbing a tackle after addressing the offensive line in free agency would tie things together at that position group. - Tennessee Titans – David Bailey – ED – Texas Tech
It feels hard to believe that Bailey would fall much further than here or even outside the top five. There’s potential that the Titans could get aggressive and draft Jeremiyah Love, but at this moment in time, Tennessee seems interested in bolstering its front seven. - New York Giants – Sonny Styles – LB – Ohio St.
The Giants’ secondary could use some improvement, but they don’t address the secondary this early in drafts. I also believe they don’t want to take a wide receiver this high this year, but Sonny Styles showed out and proved he should be one of the top picks in this draft. - Cleveland Browns – Carnell Tate – WR – Ohio St.
This team’s offense is dreadful, especially at receiver. Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman aren’t good enough to be a team’s top pass catcher. I envision Tate as someone who can compete in camp and outproduce everyone else. Whoever plays QB for Cleveland will need more weapons to throw to. - Washington Commanders – Jeremiyah Love – RB – Notre Dame
If the Titans and Giants pass on Love, then the next team that makes sense is Love. Rachaad White and Jerome Ford signing one-year deals isn’t enough for the number one running back in the class to further drop. - New Orleans Saints – Caleb Downs – S – Ohio St.
New Orleans has already lost two defensive starters and is likely to lose a third in Cam Jordan. It’s hard for me to believe three notable players on that side of the football leave, and they only somewhat address that side in free agency. Plus, there’s a lot of uncertainty in this team’s secondary, and Caleb Downs would be a great addition. - Kansas City Chiefs – Mansoor Delane – CB – LSU
Delane’s Pro Day at LSU showed everyone what I already knew, that he is far and away the best corner and that be 100% deserves to be taken in the Top 10. KC has had success with taking corners recently and would have another home run with this pick. - Cincinnati Bengals – Rueben Bain Jr. – ED – Miami
The last thing Cincy needs to do is take another offensive player. I worry that Bain may legitimately slip farther than he should, but if he is available at 11, then the Bengals would need to take him to replace Trey Hendrickson. - Miami Dolphins – Olaivavega Ioane – OG – Penn St.
The Dolphins have 11 picks in this year’s draft, and seven are in the top 100. That front office needs to fill as many holes on this roster as possible. Interior offensive feels odd to select first, but there are other receivers Miami can get later on, and you want to continue to rebuild a broken offensive line. - Dallas Cowboys – Akheem Mesidor – ED – Miami
The Cowboys clearly want even more defensive linemen after they tried to acquire Maxx Crosby when the Ravens-Raiders trade fell through. Mesidor is the next best edge rusher on the board and would be a great addition. - Los Angeles Rams – Monroe Freeling – OT – Georgia
The Rams don’t have many needs. Wide receiver and tight end also don’t seem like positions to take this early in the draft. Freeling would be an immediate fix at right tackle after Rob Havenstein called it a career. - Baltimore Ravens – Spencer Fano – OL – Utah
Fano has been described as a player who could be kicked to the inside, a place where Baltimore had lost a lot of important starters, including Tyler Linderbaum, who went to the Raiders. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jermod McCoy – CB – Tennessee
Cornerback has been a position that Tampa Bay has gotten away with for years now. Jermod has the talent, but I wonder where he is in his readiness to go to the next level after not playing last season for Tennessee. - New York Jets – Makai Lemon – WR – USC
New York already has foundational players at all three skill positions, and they’ve taken a defensive player with the previous pick. Another weapon that would line up in the slot would help improve a much-maligned offense. - Detroit Lions – Kadyn Proctor – OT – Alabama
Detroit is at that point where they have to make some tough decisions and let some good players walk in free agency. Despite some losses on defense, replacing what was lost at left tackle in Taylor Decker’s leaving would help keep that offense rolling. - Minnesota Vikings – Dillon Thienenman – S – Oregon
It looks like the Harrison Smith era in Minnesota is coming to an end. Thienenman could go higher, but he would be such a great fit in Brian Flores’ system. - Carolina Panthers – Kayden McDonald – DL – Ohio St.
Carolina loves taking defensive linemen, and I would’ve put Thienenman here if he weren’t just taken. Even though this feels a little early for McDonald, he would complete the team’s front seven after making splash moves in free agency. - Dallas Cowboys – Avieon Terrell – CB – Clemson
Now that Dallas has another edge rusher in this scenario, the next play is to get a corner. DaRon Bland is solid, and Shavon Revel Jr was taken in the third round, but both players are injured, and this defense needs more help. - Pittsburgh Steelers – Emmanuel Pregnon – IOL – Oregon
There are fewer starting holes on this roster than I thought. The offense looks much better despite the uncertainty at quarterback. Whoever does line up under center, though, would be better protected after Pittsburgh addressed its tackle positions over the last couple of drafts. - Los Angeles Chargers – Keldric Faulk – ED – Auburn
The Chargers cannot go into next season with Khalil Mack as their only legit pass rusher. Faulk addresses that issue, even with most of the other top defensive linemen already gone. - Philadelphia Eagles – Kenyon Sadiq – TE – Oregon
This pick is definitely off the wall for Philly, since the highest this franchise has taken a tight end is in the second round. The thing is, Howie Roseman only re-signed Dallas Goedert to a one-year deal, and Kenyon Sadiq is a pass-catching weapon that could and might go higher than 23rd. There aren’t many teams that could use a new tight end that don’t also need to severely address other positions with a first-round pick. - Cleveland Browns – Blake Miller – OT – Clemson
Now that Cleveland has a new pass catcher, it’s time to replace some of the offensive linemen who were lost this offseason. Miller had plenty of pass pro reps at Clemson and is the top remaining tackle. - Chicago Bears – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren – S – Toledo
It was brutal to watch so many key pieces in Chicago’s secondary leave and sign elsewhere in free agency. Taking one of the top safeties in this year’s class would be a start to retooling that part of the team. - Buffalo Bills – Denzel Boston – WR – Washington
The DJ Moore trade was a good addition for this offense, but I don’t think they are done. Boston is a big-bodied receiver and could finally be the answer to an X receiver that the Bills have been looking for. - San Francisco 49ers – Zion Young – Ed – Mizzou
I contemplated wide receiver here with all the changes there, but the defensive line looked like it could use some improvement, too. Young could find solid production in his rookie year with Nick Bosa drawing so much attention. - Houston Texans – Christen Miller – IDL – Georgia
The defense is by far the strength of this team, and why not improve it even more? The only position I have questions about is the interior. Pairing a run stuffer like Miller next to a vet in Sheldon Rankins, with the excellent pass rushers, that defensive line becomes an even scarier sight to see on Sundays. - Kansas City Chiefs – Omar Cooper Jr. – WR – Indiana
Since the cornerback position was addressed with the previous pick, this next pick can attack the other side of the ball. The Chiefs don’t take prototypical pass catchers, and having a new receiver would be good with the long-term uncertainty of the skill positions on the team. - Miami Dolphins – Colton Hood – CB – Tennessee
I am genuinely worried about Miami’s secondary after how this offseason has gone for them. Hood is very young but has good size and was used in a couple of different ways at Tennessee. He would be one of the team’s boundary corners and improve another weak position room. - Arizona Cardinals (TRADE W/ Patriots) – Ty Simpson – QB – Alabama
Decided to have a little fun and have the Patriots trade back so the Cardinals can try to get a new quarterback for the future. It wouldn’t take too much to move from 34 to 31. - Seattle Seahawks – Jordyn Tyson – WR – Arizona St.
Much like other Super Bowl champs, this pick feels like a luxury pick. They didn’t lose too many pieces, and getting a receiver that could go as high as the early teens is great value from this point in the draft.
