Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2026 NFL Draft:
Miami Dolphins:
The Dolphins were blown out and embarrassed in Week 1 at Indianapolis, but played much better in a loss to the Patriots and Bills over the next two weeks. There has been a lot of talk about Miami having problems with its culture in the locker room and organization. That could lead to a toxic environment that leads to losses and trading away veterans during the season. If the Dolphins land the No. 1 pick, they may need to consider drafting a quarterback and starting a rebuild.
New Orleans Saints:
The Saints are in rebuilding mode, whether they like it or not. While they seem desperate to stay competitive and avoid another era of being the ‘Aints, New Orleans has an aging roster in need of difference makers and long-term starters. The Saints will find out this season if Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough can be the long-term starter, but if they land the No. 1 pick, they should probably target a franchise quarterback to build around.
New York Giants:
The Giants have some talent on the roster, but they are 0-3 and a mistake-prone team. Russell Wilson is a declining veteran, and Jaxson Dart could have growing pains. Thus, New York probably won’t win a lot of games this season.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Notre Dame general manager Mike Martin
- Atlanta Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers senior personnel executive Byron Kiefer
- Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew
- Detroit Lions director of college scouting Brian Hudspeth
- Houston Texans assistant general manager Chris Blanco
- Former Indianapolis Colts chief personnel executive Morocco Brown
- New England Patriots senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith
- Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
- Las Vegas Raiders vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
- Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
- Dallas Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer
- Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Cleveland Browns: John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma 
The most shocking upset of Week 3 was the 0-2 Browns knocking off the 2-0 Packers. Cleveland’s defense held the Packers to only 10 points, and a final-play field goal was enough to knock off Green Bay. Quinshon Judkins ran for 94 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown against the Packers, and that was enough offense despite Joe Flacco struggling. The Browns should play Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to see if either is a future starter. This offseason, Cleveland needs to find their long-term starter if Gabriel or Sanders don’t prove to be the guy.
Mateer has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns, three interceptions, and four rushing touchdowns. For the NFL, Mateer looks like a starter who could be a devastating passer. Mateer (6-1, 224) is an accurate passer with excellent ball placement overall. He has a few throws get away from him, but Mateer has impressive precision as a passer. Mateer is very mobile in the pocket and can hurt defenses on the ground. As a passer, Mateer is similar to Baker Mayfield, but Mateer is a better athlete and more dangerous with his feet. It would not surprise this analyst if Mateer ends up rising high for the 2026 NFL Draft and he could be a great option for the Browns first-round pick.
Carolina Panthers: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech 
Aside from the Browns’ upset win, Carolina’s upset and blowout of the Falcons was the second most surprising result of Week 3 in the NFL. Michael Penix Jr. played poorly, throwing two interceptions and getting benched for Kirk Cousins. However, Carolina did not have good pass-rush production as they had zero sacks and only two quarterback hits. The Panthers must improve their pass rush next offseason.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Bailey is a fast edge rusher. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles with seven sacks and five forced fumbles with Stanford. Thus far in 2025, he has 3.5 sacks and eight tackles. Bailey was not impressive against Bailey could be a riser through the 2026 draft process. The Panthers need to get a true replacement for Brian Burns, and Bailey could give them a dynamic speed rusher to go next to Derrick Brown.
Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida 
The Vikings looked significantly better with Carson Wentz at quarterback, filling in for the injured J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota improved to 2-1 as they blew out the Bengals 48-10. Jake Browning threw two interceptions, and the Bengals lost three fumbles in a turnover bonanza for the Vikings defense. During the game, Javon Hargrave was injured, and thus far, he and Jonathan Allen have not been difference makers. This offseason, it would make sense to add some long-term help for the inside of the Vikings’ defensive line.
Banks (6-6, 325) is a large interior defender who flashed some pass-rush ability in 2024. He recorded 4.5 sacks with 21 tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. He had 19 tackles with a sack in 2023. Prior to that, Banks had two tackles with a sack while playing at Louisville. Banks has a good skill set with upside. He could be an excellent addition for Minnesota to pair next to Jon Greenard and Dallas Turner.
Washington Redskins: Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU 
The Redskins cruised over the Raiders with Marcus Mariota filling in for Jayden Daniels. Washington ran for 200 yards to lead their offense, but the receiving production was disappointing as no receiver had four receptions or 75 yards through the air. Deebo Samuel is a free agent after this season, and Washington could use more weapons for Jayden Daniels.
In 2025, Anderson has 21 receptions for 293 yards. In the opener against Clemson, Anderson caught six passes for 99 yards. He has explosive speed, but is very undersized. Anderson (5-8, 187) is an extremely fast receiver who is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. In 2024, Anderson had 61 receptions for 875 yards and five touchdowns. Anderson has a lot of upside to develop, and he would be a great fit in the Washington offense. Anderson could be a perfect replacement for Samuel.
Chicago Bears: Keldric Faulk,, DE, Auburn 
The Bears got their first win of the season with their defense shutting out the Cowboys in the second half and holding Dallas to 14 points. It was a good bounce-back performance for Chicago after getting blown out by Detroit a week earlier. This season, the Bears’ defense has struggled with a lack of pass rush, and they need another edge rusher to go across from Montez Sweat.
In 2025, Faulk had 10 tackles with two sacks and one pass batted thus far. Faulk was a beast for Auburn in 2024, with a big-time presence behind the line of scrimmage. He had seven sacks, 45 tackles, and one forced fumble. He has shown speed and power as a pass rusher while being a big-bodied lineman to defend the run. The 6-foot-6, 288-pounder has upside to develop as he gains experience. Faulk would be a great fit in Dennis Allen’s defense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami 
The Buccaneers improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2005 team won the NFC South after a 5-0 start. Tampa Bay harassed Tyrod Taylor into some critical turnovers, and Todd Bowles ramped up his dynamic blitz package to produce some points off turnovers for the Bucs. However, the blitzing did leave some vulnerabilities in coverage that Taylor exploited while almost leading the Jets to a huge comeback win. This offseason, the Bucs could stand to improve their pass rush and give them more quarterback hunters so they do not need to blitz.
Bain has 22 tackles, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Bain had an excellent freshman season for Miami, totaling 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 44 tackles. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder has a good get-off with functional strength and physicality to shed blocks. Some team sources feel Bain is a tweener end/tackle. Bain was injured to start 2024 and didn’t debut until early October. He totaled 23 tackles with 3.5 sacks. Bain could make sense for Tampa Bay in the early rounds.
Buffalo Bills: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Bills almost blew a lead to the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football before Miami pulled away from them. Tre White was brought back this year, but he is not a long-term starter at this point in his career. Buffalo could use some more youth at the corner to help them match up against the elite passing attacks in the NFL. Delane could form a very good trio with Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston.
Delane has nine tackles with an interception and four passes broken up in 2025. Delane is an instinctive defender with a quality skill set for the next level. In 2024, he had four interceptions with seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, and 54 tackles with Virginia Tech. In 2023, he had one interception, one pass batted, and 54 tackles. He had eight breakups with an interception in 2022 as a freshman. The 6-foot-1, 188-pounder has good size to him with upside to continue to get better as he gains experience. Delane would be a nice scheme fit in Buffalo.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.
New York Jets:
New York is in the midst of another rebuilding project, as Jets owner Woody Johnson has been utterly incompetent at making good hires for head coach and general manager. From speaking with sources, Johnson has been manipulated by search firms during his GM hires, and that happened again last offseason. However, the Jets hired a good head coach candidate in Aaron Glenn. Glenn is a great leader of men, and he has the final say in the organization, according to sources. In the 2026 offseason, Glenn has some huge decisions to make to get New York going in the right direction before the New York impatience kicks in and puts him on the hot seat.
In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Jets taking LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, and he would be a great fit in the New York offense. Glenn brought offensive coordinator Tannor Engstrand with him from the Lions, and Engstrand is running the Lions’ scheme in New York. The Lions’ scheme is complex, and puts a lot on the quarterback’s plate to put them in the right play. As a coach’s son, Nussmeier is a smart quarterback, and he has a good arm with accuracy. While Nussmeier is not a big or dangerous runner, he could be a good scheme fit to be the captain of the Jets offense with his arm and mind. Aside from Nussmeier, the Jets could consider other potential long-term starting quarterback options like Oklahoma’s John Meteer, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, and Miami’s Carson Beck.
Aside from the quarterback, New York has other areas to improve in their offense. Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, and Allen Lazard are better as depth wideouts rather than being starting fodder across from Garrett Wilson. If the Jets don’t take a quarterback in the first round, they could consider a wide receiver like Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson or Washington’s Denzel Boston. It could make sense to think of a receiver in the second round after taking a quarterback. Some day-two targets could include Ohio State’s Carnel Tate, Clemson’s Antonio Williams, and Oklahoma’s Deion Burks.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets have good talent, and Glenn can coach up the players they have with some free agent and mid-round upgrades. In order to turn New York into a true Super Bowl contender, New York must get a difference maker with a true franchise quarterback and more receiving playmakers for that quarterback. Making the right decision at quarterback will determine whether Glenn can have a successful run in New York and if Woody Johnson finally made a good hire at head coach or general manager.
Miami Dolphins:
The Dolphins fell to 0-3 on Thursday Night Football, and it looks like it will be a long season in Miami. Two years ago, the Dolphins featured a prolific offense with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but last year, Tagovailoa’s issues with concussions ruined their season, and other roster weaknesses were exposed. The Dolphins have some critical areas to improve on their roster before they can challenge the top teams in the competitive AFC.
In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Dolphins taking Auburn left tackle Xavier Chaplin, and that could be a plug-and-play upgrade for Miami. The offensive line has been a problem the past few years, and they have allowed Tagovailoa to take too many hits. Chaplin could give them a long-term tackle. With Patrick Paul at left tackle, Chaplin could play right tackle and protect Tagovailoa’s blindside. Aside from Chaplin, there could be other excellent tackle options to consider, including Utah’s Spencer Fano, Oregon’s Isaiah World, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Alabama’s Kayden Proctor, and Boston College’s Jude Bowry. There is no doubt that adding more offensive line talent is a top priority for the offseason, and they should target more talent at right guard or right tackle.
Cornerback is another position in dire need of talent. Miami has had a rash of injuries at the position, but it still needs some long-term talent. Late-round rookie Jason Marshall Jr. should be a backup, but the Dolphins are so thin at corner that Marshall is a starter. In the early rounds of the draft, the Dolphins could consider some cornerback prospects like Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, LSU’s Mansoor Delane, Texas A&M’s Will Lee, Boston College’s Amari Jackson, and Notre Dame’s Christian Gray.
If the Dolphins land the No. 1 pick, they might have to consider taking a quarterback like Oklahoma’s John Mateer or South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. Tagovailoa’s history with concussions makes him one play away from the end of his career. If Tagovailoa stays healthy and Miami lands the No. 1 pick, it would make sense to take a quarterback to get younger, cheaper, and more durable. If healthy, Miami could trade Tagovailoa and add some nice draft pick resources to help rebuild the roster. With the way things have gone under general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins could have a regime change this offseason. Regardless of what happens with Grier and McDaniel, Miami has to improve its offensive line and secondary this offseason.
