Draft order courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com.

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It has been another miserable season in Nashville, as the Titans are closing in on landing the first overall pick for the second straight season. Tennessee hopes that quarterbacks like Fernando Mendoza ball out to finish out the season, so they can get a haul for this pick from a quarterback needy team. I do not predict trades in my mock drafts, however, so this could be a Travon Walker situation, where Tennessee takes the best available talent in a position of need. Rueben Bain Jr. does not have the sack numbers you would want from a top overall pick, but he has continuously disrupted opposing quarterbacks, and is a plus run defender as well. The Titans pass rush, and defense as a whole, has been a huge weak spot. Bain Jr. may not be a future All Pro, but I think the bust potential is pretty low.

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The Giants are another terrible team that is at least set at quarterback. Like the Titans, they are hoping a couple of quarterbacks move to the top of the board, so they can trade down and add additional ammunition. It would also be nice if a Giants top ten pick decided to act like it. It is not too late for Abdul Carter to not become another Evan Neal, but early returns have not been promising. Middle linebackers are usually not top five picks, but Arvell Reese is not your typical MLB. You can play him off the ball or line him up at the edge and let him get after the quarterback. This may not be the biggest need, but this draft is very short on star power, and Reese is one of the few prospects with Pro Bowl potential.

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Tyler Shough will probably not be a long term option for the Saints, but they spent a second round pick on him in 2025 and have needs at basically every position on the field. Quarterback is not an automatic slam dunk here, but I am a huge Fernando Mendoza fan. I think he is more in the Jared Goff than Caleb Williams tier as far as an NFL prospect goes, but he is the one quarterback in this class I feel great about. He is big, has a strong arm, can make all the throws, and has strong leadership ability. I was sold after he led his team down the field to beat Penn State a few weeks ago.

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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. Ty Simpson may not have the size or arm strength of Fernando Mendoza, but he looks the part of an immediate starter as well. Simpson takes good care of the ball, finds the open man with regularity, and has enough size and strength to hold his own. He may ultimately be a glorified game manager, but the Raiders would still appreciate that type of consistency.

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The Shedeur Sanders hype machine is in ridiculous overdrive, completely dominating social media and all conversations. It is borderline toxic, and I believe Cleveland would love to move off of that drama if they can find a blue chipper like Dante Moore. Oregon is a very well coached team that pumps out NFL prospects like few others in the nation. Moore played through growing pains as a freshman at UCLA, before transferring to Oregon and learning behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024. That decision paid off, as he has grown into one of the best quaterbacks in the nation as a junior. It is worth noting that non-ESPN guy Todd McShay reported that Moore is definitely returning to Oregon in 2026, but I will believe it when I see it.

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Coming off of an NFC Championship game appearance and with a quarterback on a rookie deal, the Washington front office went all in with high priced additions. Well, Jayden Daniels got hurt and a lot of those additions have been flops, and the Commanders are back at the bottom of the NFL standings. The Commanders front four has struggled to stop the run, as well as get after the quarterback. Peter Woods could not build on a fantastic sophomore season, but I still rate him as a top ten prospect. While he only has five career sacks, he constantly disrupts plays in the backfield, and is a fantastic run stopper as well.

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Kyler Murray has probably played his last game for Arizona. The Cardinals could try to tank the rest of the way, but there is too much competition to fully bank on that proposition. Contrary to popular belief, running backs are still drafted in the top ten, especially if they are true three down threats like Jeremiyah Love. Love can run between the tackles, hit it from outside (7.1 yards per carry) and is a threat out of the backfield (26 receptions). This Arizona offense really needs more juice at the skill positions.

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If I was a GM, I would trade a late first round pick for a future first rounder any time it was offered. It could wind up as a winning lottery ticket, like the Rams have here. The Rams have a decent group of young safeties, but no one with the talent or potential of Caleb Downs. Downs is a legitimate top five pick, even as a safety, and would be a huge steal here. He can cover like a cornerback, and is a great tackler as well. He would further elevate what is already a great Rams defense.

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It is clear that the Bengals are a completely different team with Joe Burrow under center. They absolutely have to do everything they can to keep him upright. Spencer Fano could be a solid right tackle or an All Pro inside at guard. Either way, his athleticism and pass blocking chops would make the much maligned Bengals offensive line better as a whole.

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Cornerback depth has been an issue in Minnesota for years, and eventually they will have to invest draft picks in shoring up the position. The LSU defense has not been the dominating unit of years past, but Mansoor Delane has not been the problem. The Virginia Tech transfer has shown toughness, the ability to cover and stick his nose in and tackle.

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The Dolphins are finding ways to win, rattling off three wins in a row and further distancing themselves from the top ten of the draft. This is a roster that needs help everywhere. Other than Jaylen Waddle, Miami has very little in the way of pass catchers. After playing second fiddle to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith, two top five type receivers, Carnell Tate has exploded as a junior. He is averaging 18 yards per receptions, with 8 touchdowns. A true big play receiver, he would be a fantastic counterpart to Waddle in South Beach.

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Kansas City finds itself on the outside looking in at the playoffs right now, and with only five games left, things are getting uncomfortable. Kansas City has had to rely on quite a few WR2 and 3 types since trading Tyreek Hill. Jordyn Tyson’s late season issues have hampered his draft stock a bit, but he should still be a top 20 pick. He is strong, quick and a tremendous route runner. While he may not be that superstar that he looked like early in the season, he should be a very reliable WR1.

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A quarterback of the future remains the biggest need for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I have trouble mocking LaNorris Sellers in the first round right now. The secondary is another area of need. Jalen Ramsey has made the move to safety, opening up a spot across Joey Porter Jr. Avieon Terrell may be a bit undersized, but hits ant tackles like a safety (five forced fumbles on the year), and is an improving cover guy as well.

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The Panthers are sitting at 7-6, and are in great position to win its division, but this is still a roster that is very light on pure talent. David Bailey may not be an all around threat as a defender, but he leads the country in sacks and has improved as an all around defender every year of his college career. The Panthers have lacked a true pass rush threat since trading Brian Burns a few seasons ago.

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Thanks to the Micah Parsons trade and terrible Marshawn Kneeland tragedy, the Cowboys are very thin on pass rushers. T.J. Parker looked like a top five pick after a dominating sophomore season, but he, like the rest of the Clemson Tigers, had a tough go of things in 2025. Parker ended the regular season with a bang, getting to the South Carolina quarterbacks for three sacks. That is the pass rusher I have been so high on all season. Parker has a good blend of size and strength, and could be a double digit sack guy in the NFL if properly developed.

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Aidan Hutchinson has been his usual fantastic self for Detroit, but no other edge rusher has more than a small handful of sacks. This team needs more beef up front. Keldric Faulk has struggled to generate consistent pressure as a junior, but has great size and solid all around ability. If he balls out during the combine as expected, he should go higher than this, even with less than stellar statistical production.

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Houston has a playoff caliber defense, but the offense has struggled to generate points all season long. In particular, trading Laremy Tunsil continues to be one of the most head-scratching moves of the off season.. 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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The Ravens are going to go as far as Lamar Jackson takes them. When Jackson was out, the Ravens lack of depth and upper end talent really showed itself. Baltimore needs help all over the defense, and Kayden McDonald could give the defensive line some additional beef. McDonald is a first year starter for Ohio State, so he is still working on the finer points of his game, but he is a solid run defender who can pick up the occasional sack.

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The Buccaneers defense has simply been okay, and they could look for a long term replacement for great Lavonte David during the draft. CJ Allen is an ideal middle linebacker prospect. He can do everything pretty well, from chasing down ball carriers to getting after the quarterback. He has 3.5 sacks on the year, after coming into this season without a sack to his name.

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Buffalo has spent more than a couple of day two and three picks on the receiver position in hopes of replacing Stephon Diggs, but the results have mostly been negative. Makai Lemon is amongst the nations leaders in receptions, yards and touchdown receptions. He is not the biggest, but can make all of the catches. Josh Allen is trying to do it all, but he could use the extra help.

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The Eagles traded for Jaelan Phillips, but he is an upcoming free agent. Even if he resigns, Philadelphia could use additional pass rushing help. Cashius Howell may be too undersized to hold up as an every down lineman, but is a true pass rushing specialist, with 27 career sacks.

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The perpetually rebuilding Jets are basically a blank slate roster wise, making the best player available approach the way to go. Jermod McCoy, the great Tennessee cornerback, ended up sitting out the entirety of the 2025 season while recovering from an injury. We have seen cornerbacks like Shavon Revel Jr. and Benjamin Morrison fall during the draft due to injury, so it will be important to see how McCoy recovers during the pre-draft process, if he chooses to declare. His sophomore tape showed a clear first round talent. McCoy was a play maker, with six interceptions during his first two seasons of college ball.

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For as good as the 49ers have been, they always seem to have some kind of beef with their receivers. Brandon Aiyuk could be on the move during the off-season. Even if not, Ricky Pearsall and Juwan Jennings look like more of third and fourth options. Chris Bell may not be a burner, but he is big, tough, and a solid route runner who can make all of the catches.

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Anthony Hill Jr. continues to stuff the stat sheet as a Texas junior. He had 113 tackles, 8 sacks and four forced fumbles as a sophomore, and is not far off that pace as a junior. He is an 4-3 linebacker, who can do a little bit of everything on the football field. He needs to get stronger, but has great potential, and would be an upgrade over the Chargers mediocre group of MIKE linebackers.

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Cleveland drafted a quarterback with its first pick, and should continue to add to the offense here. Denzel Boston is a big bodied deep threat who has a strong ability to get into the end zone. He would be an ideal WR2 for the Browns offense, who already has one of the better tight end duos in football.

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With its second pick in the first round, Dallas should continue to add talent to the defense. Colton Hood has put together back-to-back solid seasons, really coming on as a 20 year old junior. It might take a bit of time, but he is a physical corner with an improving cover game.

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Other than a 4 interception stinker against the Rams, Sam Darnold has been been mostly good for the Seahaawks,, but he is the type of quarterback that needs others around him to elevate his game, not the other way around. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is an absolute stud, but he could use a young counterpart to take some pressure off of him. Kenyon Sadiq is a fantastic athlete for a tight end, and has a real knack for finding the end zone, including twice against USC late in the season.

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The Rams have built a Super Bowl roster despite hardly having a first round pick the past ten years. Imagine how good they could be with two in 2026. The decision by KC Concepcion to transfer from NC State to Texas A&M has been a huge success. He has doubled his yards per reception as a junior, showing the ability to get down the field in 2025 after mostly being a slot option for a bad offense as a sophomore. He would be an overqualified WR3 for the Rams behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

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As you would expect from a team sitting at 9-2, the Denver roster is deep and without many holes. If Denver wants RJ Harvey to develop into a true three down back, continuing to add to the offensive line could be the way to go.. While Penn State has been a mess in 2025, it is easy to forget how dominant the rushing attack was a year ago. Olaivavega Ioane successfully opened up holes for the Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen duo.

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If you predicted the Chicago Bears to lead the NFC in December, I hope you bet on it. Chicago just keeps finding ways to win games. The Bears have spent multiple picks on its offense in recent years, and could go defense here. Pass rush could be the biggest need. LT Overton is not a pure pass rusher, but is a solid overall defensive lineman, and should remain productive either against the run or on passing downs.

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After a few down seasons, New England is back on top of the NFL world, thanks to a great head coach and a MVP caliber quarterback. Some things never change. Matayo Uiagalelei would be a nice prospect to select here. He may top out as a pass rushing specialist, but he would be a part of a deep, versatile rotation of rushers and ends for the Patriots.

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