Extended version this week.

Draft order is based on my NFL power rankings. Once every team has played at least 8 games, I will switch over to the “if the draft was held today” draft order. Enjoy!

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Things are a mess in Tennessee. Cam Ward is getting sacked at an ungodly rate, he is turning the ball over non-stop, and he has no one to throw to. On defense, they cannot put pressure on the quarterback. They can hope to address one of those needs with Rueben Bain Jr. While he “only” has two sacks on the season, that does not tell the full story of how impactful he has been. He lives in the opponents backfield, and is an exceptional run defender as well. He is a complete defensive player and my favorite to be the first non-quarterback drafted.

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When the owner of a football team basically comes out and says the team is winless because of terrible quarterback play, you can expect a decision from the top down to draft a long term option, even if the Jets have whiffed on first round quarterbacks in the past. Fernando Mendoza is not a Caleb Williams or Trevor Lawrence type prospect, but he has all of the tools you look for in a starting quarterback. He gets rid of the ball quickly, makes strong decisions and completes the majority of his passes. He is an anti-gunslinger, and a franchise as hapless as New York could appreciate that mentality.

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Quarterback may be an eventual need in New Orleans, but Spencer Rattler has played well enough that he could hold down the fort for another year or two while the Saints rebuild a roster ravaged by age and salary cap issues. The team also spent a second round pick on Tyler Shough in 2025. The Clemson program has been a disaster this year, but that is not the fault of Peter Woods. Woods already has 20 tackles on the season, an impressive number for an interior lineman, and constantly causes havoc all three downs. New Orleans has cycled through dozens of defensive tackles, and Woods would instantly anchor that defensive line.

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Pete Carroll may not have the patience for a rookie quarterback at this point in his career, but the Geno Smith experiment has been a monster failure. Las Vegas cannot ignore the position any longer. I am always wary of redshirt sophomore quarterbacks, but Dante Moore looks the part. Oregon is a very well coached team that pumps out NFL prospects like few others in the nation. Moore showed grit by bouncing back from his worst performance of the season against Indiana, with a 290 yard, 4 touchdown game against Rutgers.

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Everyone is calling for Tua Tagovailoa’s head, and it is true that he may never justify his contract, but this Dolphins roster is so shallow that it would be foolish to draft a quarterback in the first round. I struggle to name five non-skill position players on this roster that would be a starter on a championship contending team, especially on defense. A safety going in the top five is virtually unheard of, but Caleb Downs is a special talent, and exactly the kind of player Miami’s soft defense could use. He hits like a linebacker, covers like a cornerback, and may be most complete player in college football.

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The Ravens should bounce back once Lamar Jackson returns next week. Fortunately for them, the AFC is wide open and it is not too late to make a run. They will not be picking in the top ten of the draft. But here we are, for now. Baltimore’s biggest issue has been a lack of a pass rush, a troubling sign for a team that has long prided itself on its suffocating defense. I am higher on T.J. Parker than most. While he has struggled to replicate his tremendous numbers as a sophomore, he is still a talented pass rusher. He is not an elite athlete, but is tough and gets the job done.

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The Giants are going all in with youth on offense, so keeping those guys protected should be paramount. This is a very solid offensive line class, so New York could undo its Evan Neal whiff with a replacement here. Francis Mauigoa is my favorite tackle in this class. He is athletic, talented, and has blocked for several pro style quarterbacks, so he should be ready to step in and produce as a rookie,.

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I thought long and hard about Ty Simpson here. The Cardinals can cut Kyler Murray following the 2026 season, but may want to give it one more try and perhaps select his replacement during a loaded 2027 quarterback class. Addressing the offensive line would be priority number two. Spencer Fano is a talented, athletic blocker who may be better suited as a guard in the NFL. Arizona could use a long term option across Paris Johnson or inside, so whatever position Fano plays, he would be a huge upgrade.

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Joe Burrow is an elite talent, but for the third time in six seasons, he will fail to play more than ten games. Cincinnati would love to draft one of the two offensive lineman here, but both are off the board, so they pivot towards providing a leaky defense with reinforcements. Mansoor Delane continues to fly up my draft boards and now finds himself in the top ten. This cornerback class has been lackluster, but Delane’s move from Virginia Tech to LSU has paid dividends. Delane plays tougher than his size would indicate, and is a solid cover corner as well.

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I have my doubts that the quarterback of the future is on this Cleveland roster, but they simply cannot pass on Jordyn Tyson here. The fit is too perfect. Tyson has picked up where he left off as a sophomore, continuing to gobble up receptions and touchdowns for Arizona State. He has good size, has cut down on his drops, and is a fantastic route runner. With Jerry Jeudy and a couple of good tight ends to go along with Tyson, whoever Cleveland’s quarterback winds up being would have enough weapons to work with.

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Ty Simpson could make some sense here as well, but the ageless Matthew Stafford continues to play at an MVP level. With two first round picks, the Rams have a chance to keep the train moving. While Jermod McCoy still has yet to play this year, his tape as a sophomore was so strong that he remains a first round pick. McCoy should return from his injury soon, and could easily reclaim his cornerback one status. The secondary could be one of the Rams only real weaknesses.

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Houston trading Laremy Tunsil continues to be one of the most head-scratching moves of the off season. They have struggled to pass block, and CJ Stroud has taken way too many hits as a result. Kadyn Proctor was my preseason top offensive tackle, but has struggled with consistency as a junior. He also may be forced to kick inside, but Houston’s offensive line is so poor that they would be justified by gambling on Proctor’s talent here.

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With its second first round pick, Cleveland takes hometown stud Arvell Reese. Reese has been an all around terror for the best team in the country. The former top recruit may push for 100 tackles and double digit sacks by the end of the year, showing off his extreme versatility and all around game. He would be a real playmaker for a Browns defense that is already one of the more talented in the NFL.

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Carolina is sitting 4-3, which is a real feat considering the amount of holes on this roster. The defense, in particular, could really use that stud pass rusher. While David Bailey may be a bit one dimensional, that dimension has equaled 10.5 sacks already. The former Stanford Cardinal has long been on my draft radar, and the move to Texas Tech has helped him unlock that next level. Bailey has registered at least half a sack in every game this season.

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The Cowboys chose not to pay Micah Parsons, and now have one of the worst defenses in the NFL as a result. Keldric Faulk is a very solid all around EDGE defender. He plays faster than his listed size, but has the strength to hold things down as a run defender, with the ability to slide inside on obvious running downs. He is still scratching the surface of what he can be, and could wind up in the top five if he aces the pre-draft process.

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Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been great, but there was a reason he was a seventh round pick. Washington should aim higher. Jeremiyah Love is coming off of that career defining performance that people remember, with 228 rushing yards and a touchdown in a win over USC. Love is the type of complete back that is still drafted in the top 20. He is a violent runner with speed, and a threat out of the back field as a pass catcher. I could easily see a scenario where he is a top ten pick.

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The Bears have spent multiple picks on its offense in recent years, and could go defense here. Pass rush is the biggest need, but there are no edge rushers worth this pick, so they go with Avieon Terrell. Despite his small frame, he hits and tackles like a safety, with six career forced fumbles. He is tough and a solid cover guy as well.

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Anthony Hill Jr. has not had the impact that he did during his tremendous sophomore season, where he racked up over 100 tackles and 8 sacks, but I am not overly worried. He is a playmaker in every sense of the word. there is not a lot that he cannot do from his off the ball linebacker position, and could be a future leader for a Brian Flores led defense that is one of the toughest in the league.

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The Chargers have struggled to put together a solid defensive line in recent years. Kayden McDonald has quietly put together one of the more impressive seasons amongst draft eligible defensive tackles. He waited his turn on a loaded Ohio State defense, but has shown that he can stop the run and get after the quarterback. He is better than Kenneth Grant, a similar prospect who went in the top fifteen in 2025.

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Wide receiver is not the biggest need for Denver, but I have Carnell Tate as a top ten pick, so the value is too good to pass up on here. I was early to the Tate train in my mock drafts, mentioning that is hard to put up monster stat lines playing second fiddle to target hogs like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State is the only team in the country where Tate would not be its best receiver. He has been a true difference maker for the Buckeyes as a junior, with three 100 yard receiving games already.

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Despite a less than stellar group of pass catchers, Drake Maye is having a great sophomore season. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to throwing the deep ball, so adding a player who is amongst the nation leaders in receiving yards would do wonders. Makai Lemon is more than just a burner, he can also make the tough catches over the middle. With Stephon Diggs on one side and Lemon on the other, the New England passing game could be lethal.

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Despite yet another year racked by injuries, the San Francisco 49ers keep finding ways to win. This is still a roster with too many holes and not enough young players to fill them. The great Fred Warner is the latest causality. Even with Warner on the field, the 49ers could use another off the ball linebacker. CJ Allen has been as good as advertised for the Georgia defense. He has continued to deliver as a run defender, but already has three sacks as a junior, after only having one during his first two seasons.

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The Eagles young pass rushers have been unable to step up, and Philadelphia brought back the corpse of Brandon Graham as a result. This defense is deep enough that they can afford to draft a one dimensional pass rusher like Matayo Uiagalelei in the first round. He has 16.5 career sacks, which would get him first round looks despite less than stellar run defense ability. The Eagles will be fine with him as a situational pass rusher.

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Yet another situational pass rusher going in the latter half of the first round. Cashius Howell only has 15 tackles on the season, but 8.5 of those have been of the “taking the quarterback to the ground” variety. Tampa Bay has struggled to get after the quarterback all season. That may be all that Howell is good at, but that should still get him plenty of looks in the first round.

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If Ty Simpson declares for the 2026 draft, he will not last until pick 25. He is here because I could not find a good fit before this, but teams will trade up to draft him close to the top ten. One of those teams should be the Steelers. Pittsburgh will always be too good to draft high enough to land an elite quarterback talent, but they may need to be willing to surrender draft capital to get there. Simpson is not an elite athlete, but he sat for three years, learned the game, and has been nearly perfect as a fourth year junior. He would be a great fit in Pittsburgh.

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With its second round pick, the Rams add a future starting tackle to the mix. Despite being a fifth year senior, Isaiah World is still a bit of a project after transferring from Nevada to Oregon. He is tall, athletic and has held his own for Oregon in 2025. Rob Havenstein is entering the back half of his career and Alaric Jackson is not irreplaceable on the left side.

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Buffalo likes to employ a deep rotation along its defensive line. LT Overton is not a pure pass rusher, which is why he is available here, but is a strong run defender with good size who could flirt with 6-8 sacks a year in his prime. He could also slide inside next to Ed Oliver on passing downs.

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The Seahawks offensive line is improved, but still has a long way to go. I have them drafting an interior lineman in the first round for the second straight year. The Penn State offense has been a mess, but that hothing to do with Olaivavega Ioane, one of the toughest offensive lineman in the country. There was a time where both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen were tearing apart opposing defenses, and Ioane had a lot to do with that.

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The Colts are easily the early surprise of the 2025 NFL season, especially on offense, where they are routinely demolishing defenses. The defense, however, needs to get better. Dani Dennis-Sutton has not been great as a senior, but neither has the rest of the Nittany Lions. Dennis-Sutton does have 17 career sacks, and is a solid run defender as well, and could be a part of a rotation for a Colts defensive line that needs bodies.

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Both the Cowboys and George Pickens have talked about a contract extension, but I will believe it when I see it. If Pickens moves on, Dallas will once again be on the lookout for a receiver opposite CeeDee Lamb. Chris Brazzell II, a Texas native, has been a playmaking dynamo for Tennessee in 2025. He has great length and can really get down the field.

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Despite a 4-3 record and a baffling loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chiefs still look like the best team in the AFC. This is a team that will always be picking at the bottom of the first round, and Andy Reid likes to attack both the offensive and defensive lines with these picks. Joshua Josephs is a talented pass rusher who plays bigger than his size as a run defender. He has caused three fumbles already this year.

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The Lions have a Super Bowl caliber offense, and the defense simply needs to be average for Detroit to have a chance. The Texas defense has not been the problem, as they have not given up more than 14 points in a game this year. Malik Muhammad has been solid at cornerback, with two recent interceptions to his name.

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