Only cowards project trades in their mock drafts, because they are scared of trying to come up with a pick for the Giants at the top of the draft. Don’t be a coward!

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

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Jaxson Dart is the future at quarterback for the Giants, so this will be an optimum spot to trade down. New York will have to hope that only one of Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore or Ty Simpson declares early for the draft, as that will really drive up the price for this pick. Like I said earlier, I do not project trades in my mocks, so the Giants stay here. Giving Dart additional weapons should be priority number one. Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo should be back in 2026, and throwing deep threat ace Carnell Tate into the mix could put this young offense over the top. 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. No, he will not be the first overall pick. But he makes the most sense for the Giants, and could be their top target after a trade down.

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Geno Smith was a massive flop for the Raiders, and this franchise needs to draft a long term option, despite what Pete Carroll may want. Newly minted Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is comfortably the top quarterback in this class. He has Indiana sitting on top of the football world, and did what he had to do to beat the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes during the Big Ten championship game. While he may not be a Peyton Manning-level prospect, few players are. He should be a long term starting option for a team that has been looking for just that since Rich Gannon.

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With the season winding down, the Titans are one of three teams sitting at the top of the draft order with 2 wins. While they have their quarterback, having the first overall pick could have landed a franchise starved for talent some additional draft compensation. Rueben Bain Jr. does not have the sack numbers you would want from a top overall pick, but that does not always tell the full story. He has one of the best pass rushing grades in all of college football. 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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I do not think Shedeur Sanders is a shoo-in as a long term starter, but he has played well enough that, unless Fernando Mendoza is available, Cleveland can look to fill other holes here. While Jordyn Tyson’s stats may have suffered a bit once Sam Leavitt was lost for the season, he still put up a strong redshirt junior season. He has a fantastic blend of size, strength and ability, showing strong route running ability and the skills to separate from opposing defenders.

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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. Dante Moore is a big project, but has starter ability. He has had a very good redshirt sophomore season for Oregon, showing poise, accuracy and the ability to make all of the throws. The Jets have five first round picks within the next two years, so they can still build up the roster while investing in a rookie quarterback here.

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Running back, receiver, quarterback, offensive lineman. Other than tight end, the Cardinals need help everywhere on offense. I have mocked Jeremiyah Love here on multiple occasions, but it may not be the best use of draft capital to select a running back in the top ten without fixing the offensive line first. Just ask the Raiders and Ashton Jeanty. Francis Mauigoa would be a perfect counterpart to Paris Johnson Jr. Mauigoa is an agile right tackle who excels in run blocking. Even if he has to move inside to guard, he offers 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. With the team winning two meaningless games in a row, they have played themselves out of the top two quarterbacks. New Orleans has invested in its offensive line, with mixed results. Spencer Fano may be a right tackle only, or even a guard, but he is a very good pass blocker, and would help stabilize the Saints offensive line, no matter where he lines up.

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Life comes at you fast in the NFL. Less than twelve months ago, Washington beat the Lions and played in the NFC Championship game. Fast forward, it has been a lost season for Jayden Daniels, high priced acquisitions have flopped, and this franchise is back in the top ten of the NFL draft. Arvell Reese may not be a true EDGE rusher, but there is little he cannot do on the football field. Throw him in the middle of your defense and let him chase down ball carriers, get after the quarterback and cover opposing running backs and tight ends. He could easily be the first non-quarterback drafted.

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Even though safeties are not usually taken in the top ten, Caleb Downs is too talented to pass up here. The Bengals defense lacks playmakers, depth and talent, and Downs can provide all of the above. He can play any position in the secondary, pick off passes and chase down ball carriers. He may be the best talent in this class, and would help an overmatched Cincinnati defense that needs it all.

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The Rams are a Super Bowl contender, and may not want to pass up on a rare opportunity to take their quarterback of the future. Ty Simpson’s stock has taken a bit of a hit in recent weeks. Even as a fourth year junior, he lacks experience, but the Rams are the rare team that can let him sit for a year or two, as Matthew Stafford is still playing at an MVP level.

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Miami’s over-matched secondary played a bit better as the season went on, but this is a group that seriously lacks talent. There may not even be a CB2 on the roster. Mansoor Delane was a fringe first rounder at Virginia Tech, but chose to transfer to LSU to further develop his game. Even though the Tigers had a bad year, Delane did not. He is a strong tackler and a leader in the secondary.

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Life comes at you fast in the NFL. The Chiefs had been the envy of the NFL for the past decade, but they are officially out of the playoffs and Patrick Mahomes faces a lengthy recovery from injury. For the first time in a long time, there will be question marks for the future of this franchise. I still expect the Chiefs to invest heavily on both offensive and defensive lines. George Karlaftis leads the Chiefs in sacks with 6. That is not going to get it done. While pre-season darlings like T.J. Parker and Keldric Faulk struggled to generate a consistent pass rush, David Bailey continued to up his sack total, exploding off the edge for 13.5 sacks as a senior. While he may never be a strong run defender, his ability to get after the quarterback will always be in high demand.

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Whether it was Adrian Peterson or Dalvin Cook, Minnesota has always relied on a strong running game. With JJ McCarthy under center, that is more important than ever. Jeremiyah Love is the type of running back that is still selected in the top half of the first round. He is quick, strong and one of the best pass catching backs in college football. He will be a true three down threat.

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Thanks to the Micah Parsons trade and extremely unfortunate Marshawn Kneeland situation, Dallas is short on pass rushers. I am not a huge fan of taking an edge rusher with only two sacks on the year, but Faulk was more disruptive than those numbers may suggest. He has great size, and his sophomore tape, where he picked up 7 sacks, shows a potential Pro Bowler.

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Lamar Jackson has done all that he can do, but this Ravens defense has been a shell of the fantastic units that carried this team for so many years. The run defense, in particular, has been very poor. Peter Woods would be a steal if he falls out of the top ten. He did not take a huge step forward as a junior, but is still the top interior lineman in this class by a pretty wide margin. He is a complete player, and would be a perfect fit as an all around 3-4 end on the Baltimore defensive line.

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The Panthers are sitting at 7-7, and are in great position to win its division, but this is still a roster that is very light on pure talent, as evidenced by their inability to string together solid performances. This is a fantastic off the ball linebacker class. Not only do you have Arvell Reese, but CJ Allen, Anthony Hill Jr., Sonny Styles and Jake Golday could get first round looks as well. 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. The Panthers really need a leader in the middle of its defense.

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It has been an extremely disappointing season for the Lions, and, as usual, it starts and ends with the lack of high end talent on the defense.. Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons cornerback AJ, was one of the lone bright spots for Clemson in 2025. Despite his small stature, he plays like a safety, racking up 50 tackles and 3 sacks.

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With unimaginable quarterback problems, the Colts are in freefall. The Jets will not shed a tear, however, as this pick looks a lot more juicy than it did a month ago. With the selection of a quarterback earlier, New York should give him someone other than Garrett Wilson to throw to. Makai Lemon had the best season of any receiver in this class, racking up over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has an ideal blend of quickness, route running and hands.

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The Buccaneers are fortunate to play in the worst division in football, because this is not a playoff caliber team right now. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin perhaps moving on from Tampa Bay in the off-season, the team should find additional pass catchers, even with the emergence of Emeka Egbuka. Kenyon Sadiq is the best tight end in this class, and it is not all that close. While it often takes tight ends a while to get going, he has the ability to be a chain mover and occasional deep threat as a secondary pass catcher.

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Pittsburgh has cycled through quite a few players in hopes of finding a counterpart to DK Metcalf at receiver. Denzel Boston only had seven receptions during his first two seasons in college, but has emerged as a big play threat the past two seasons, finding the end zone 20 times. He has an ideal mix of size and big play ability.

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Philadelphia traded for Jaelen Phillips, and Brandon Graham came out of retirement, so their desire to add additional pass rushing help is no secret. Neither player can be counted on for 2026, however. Cashius Howell may not look the part of a prototypical pass rusher, gut you cannot ignore the results. He has 27 career sacks, and, while he may never be a three down lineman, can be a strong part of a deep Philadelphia pass rush.

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Houston may have the best defense in the NFL, and that has helped the team run off six wins in a row, but the offense needs help, particularly along the line. Trevor Goosby, a three year sophomore, has steadily improved as the year has gone on, and may have had his best career performance in the Texas upset win over Texas A&M. He is raw, but might be the only true starting left tackle in this class, which should get him plenty of first round looks if he declares.

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I would not have an issue if Dallas decided to double up on pass rushers with both of their first round picks. T.J. Parker could not build upon a great sophomore season, but showed what he was capable with during a three sack performance against South Carolina. He is not the best athlete but could develop into a decent all around end at the NFL level.

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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. Perhaps it is time to aim a little higher. Chris Bell is a physically imposing target who can make the tough catches and find the end zone. He is one of seven or eight receivers who could be day one picks.

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The Bears have spent multiple picks on its offense in recent years, and could go defense here. LT Overton may never be a double digit sack guy in the NFL, but he has good size, can get after the quarterback on occasion and is a solid run defender, so he should be able to stay on the field for all three downs.

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The Chargers have been without both of their first round offensive tackles, and the results have shown just that. Even if both return to full health, Los Angeles could further fortify its offensive line with the best pure interior lineman in this class. The Nittany Lions struggled badly in 2025, but just look back to 2024, when Olaivavega Ioane helped open holes for the best running back tandem in college football.

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The 49ers roster is aging, especially along the offensive line. Kadyn Proctor has struggled with consistency, and may be too big to stay outside at tackle, but his talent is well worth gambling on this late in the first round. At the worst, he should be a strong guard if he is forced to move inside.

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Denzel Ward is a stud on one side of the outside secondary for Cleveland, but CB2 has been an issue for a few years. Jermod McCoy sat out the entire 2025 season before officially declaring for the draft, but his 2024 tape showed a clear first round talent at cornerback. If his medicals come back clean, he should not fall out of the first round, but we have seen cornerbacks like Will Johnson, Shavon Revel Jr. and Benjamin Morrison fall due to injuries in recent seasons.

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I am always a proponent of surrounding your young quarterbacks with as many skill position weapons as possible. KC Concepcion has had a tremendous junior season for Texas A&M, showing more big play ability than he was able to at NC State. He could be a slot nightmare, reminding Patriots fans of Wes Welker and Julian Edelman.

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Anthony Hill Jr. continuedto 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 athletic off the ball linebacker, who can do a little bit of everything on the football field. He needs to get stronger, but has great potential. The Rams are deep on defense, but could use that play making ability that Hill Jr. could provide.

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As you would expect from a team sitting at 11-2, the Denver roster is deep and without many holes. This is a best player available situation. Kayden McDonald is more than just a run stuffing nose tackle, though that is his expertise. 57 tackles fron an interior lineman is something special. He can also get to the quarterback on occasion, racking up the first three sacks of his career as a junior.

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