Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2026 NFL Draft:
New York Jets:
The Jets won at Cincinnati to get their first win of the season. However, at 1-7, they remain in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. New York has some talent on the roster, but they are clearly in a big rebuilding project under Aaron Glenn and won’t be a playoff contender this season. New York should win some games this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a team or two picking ahead of them. If the Jets land the No. 1 pick, they should target Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, Oregon’s Dante Moore, or Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Tennessee Titans:
Tennessee was fortunate to get a win over Arizona, and the Cardinals should have won that game. The Titans could land the No. 1 pick for the second straight season. If Tennessee gets the No. 1 pick, it would make sense to auction the pick to load up on draft picks to rebuild the Titans’ roster.
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.
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 senior personnel executive John Dorsey
- 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
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard
- Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
- 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
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel
- Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Houston Texans: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson 
The Texans improved to 3-4 with a home win over the 49ers. Houston’s defense shut down Christian McCaffrey, and Houston had young receivers and running backs step up to help produce, with Nico Collins being held out with an injury. The Texans’ defense got after Mac Jones, and Houston could use more interior rush talent to improve the pass rush.
Woods has 21 tackles with one sack and a pass batted. Woods got his season off to a strong start against Georgia, and he has been disruptive for Clemson. In 2024, he had three sacks and 26 tackles. Woods (6-3, 315) has upside to be better as he gains experience. Woods could make sense for the Texans in the early rounds.
Buffalo Bills: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville 
The Bills dominated Carolina, blowing out the Panthers by 31. James Cook ran for over 200 yards, the defense sacked Andy Dalton seven times, and produced an interception. Khalil Shakir had a nice game, but Buffalo could use more receiver talent from the 2026 NFL Draft.
To open 2025, Bell has 44 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns. Bell (6-2, 220) was a solid receiver for the Cardinals in 2024, catching 43 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns. With a strong build, Bell is physical and tough, but he also has good speed and runs well for a thick-built receiver. Bell would be a nice mismatch weapon and chain mover for Josh Allen. He could be a nice value late in the first round.
New England Patriots: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State 
The Patriots cruised over the Browns as young star quarterback Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes against a tough Cleveland defense. While New England won by 19, the Browns did have some success with their tight end tandem of David Njoku and Harold Fannin. New England could use a safety to help limit tight ends.
In 2025, Downs has 34 tackles with an interception. In 2024, Downs had 76 tackles with six passes broken up and two interceptions. Downs was phenomenal for Alabama in 2023, recording 107 tackles, two interceptions, three passes broken up, and a forced fumble. After the season, he transferred to Ohio State. Downs (6-0, 205) has the potential to be a safety that is a true first-rounder. Downs could be a nice value pick if he got to the Patriots first-round selection.
Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU 
The Dolphins got a surprising win over the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday. Miami showed why the Falcons were wise to bench Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix, as Cousins looked inept versus the Dolphins’ defense. The one Falcon who produced somewhat well was tight end Kyle Pitts, as he caught nine passes. Cornerback has been an issue all season, and adding a top corner in the 2026 NFL Draft has to be a top consideration for the Dolphins.
Delane has 33 tackles with an interception and seven 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 first-round pick for Miami.
New York Jets: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama 
The Jets got their first win of the Aaron Glenn era, and New York pulled off the road upset over the Bengals. Breece Hall had a huge game, and they got enough out of the passing game to help produce 39 points. Jets owner Woody Johnson once again showed he is one of the more incompetent owners in the NFL when he criticized his starting quarterback in the media. That can cause disension in the organization, but clearly, Glenn needs a franchise quarterback. Simpson would be a great addition with the Jets’ first-round pick.
Simpson has been phenomenal in 2025, leading the Crimson Tide to some big wins against tough opponents. In 2025, Simpson has completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,184 yards with 20 touchdowns and an interception. Simpson has shown some serious arm talent, making some beautiful throws downfield with superb ball placement to beat tight coverage. In tight games, Simpson made some great passes to lead his team to wins over Georgia and Missouri. Simpson is accurate, smart, has a strong arm, and throws with timing and anticipation. Simpson has shown superb ball security this season as well, with excellent decision-making. Simpson looks like a high first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft, and he would be a great addition to the Jets.
Baltimore Ravens: Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn 
The Ravens were in desperate need of a win to have any hopes of salvaging their 2025 season, and Baltimore was able to get a home win over the Bears. Baltimore’s defense had some issues covering Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore, and the Ravens’ pass defense has been surprisingly vulnerable this season. They could use a young pass rusher and disruptor to pair with Mike Green.
Faulk had 20 tackles with two sacks and three passes batted thus far in 2025. 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. He could be a great scheme fit in Baltimore.
Los Angeles Chargers: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee 
The Chargers rolled the Vikings on Thursday Night Football, and it wasn’t a close game. After a rough outing versus the Colts, Los Angeles got a bounce-back game that they needed. Los Angeles hammered Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz, and Wentz played through some pain while the Chargers consistently put him into the turf hard. Justin Jefferson (7-74) did some damage, and he could have had a bigger night if Wentz and the offensive line played better. Adding some cornerback talent would help the Chargers’ defense when it comes to taking on an elite receiver or passing attack.
McCoy has yet to play in 2025, but his 2024 tape was so good that he could still be a first-round pick. The 6-foot, 190-pound McCoy had an excellent sophomore season with 44 tackles, four interceptions, and seven passes broken up. He played well in 2023 with 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven breakups. McCoy is an instinctive corner with good ball skills and a willing tackler. Because of the injury, McCoy could be a good value for the Chargers in the back half of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears:
Even though they lost to Baltimore on Sunday, the Bears appear to be headed in the right direction under new head coach Ben Johnson. While not all of the wins have been pretty, Chicago is a playoff contender in their first season under Johnson. In order to improve their potency for the post-season in 2026, the Bears need to invest in more defensive talent.
The Chicago general manager, Ryan Poles, squandered some high second-round picks in recent years, and that has to end for the Bears to build a roster capable of competing with the elite teams in the NFC, like the Eagles, Lions, and Rams. The Bears need to maximize their early-round picks, and that will be even more critical if their first-round pick is no longer in the top 10. In the first few rounds of the draft, Chicago should go with the strategy of the best defensive player available, regardless of position, with the exception of linebacker. The Bears should take the best defensive end, tackle, cornerback, or safety available. If they add three quality players at those four positions, that could lay the foundation for solid talent on defense.
Clearly, Chicago could use some young talent at edge rusher across from Montez Sweat. The 2026 NFL Draft looks like it could be a strong year for edge rush talent, so the Bears could have some good options to consider with players like Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Missouri’s Zion Young, and Missouri’s Damon Wilson. They have coaches on their staff who have worked with Faulk, but the Bears may not be picking high enough to land the Auburn standout. Adding some edge rush talent in the early rounds is a necessity. In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Bears taking Miami defensive end Rueben Bain. Bain is an excellent fit in Dennis Allen’s scheme as a base end who can be tough to set the edge and help in the pass rush.
Chicago could also consider adding an interior disruptor like Clemson’s Peter Woods, Alabama’s L.T. Overton, and Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington. Woods and Overton are quick gap shooters who could be the presence they were hoping they would get from the disappointing Grady Jarrett. Washington is more of a disruptive nose tackle. He has a freaky skill set and a ton of upside.
In the secondary, the Bears have some pieces, but if there is an elite cornerback or safety available, that has to be a consideration. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is that kind of rare player, and an elite prospect. He would be a great help in defending Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta. While Downs would be great, Chicago may not pick high enough to land him. At cornerback, some players to consider include LSU’s Mansoor Delane, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell.
The Bears have invested heavily in their offense with picks and dollars. Now the focus has to be on the defense to help make Chicago a well-rounded team capable of challenging any team in the NFC.
Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings enter the back half of the season with a lot of questions that need to be answered. The elephant in the room is whether they screwed up by trusting second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy to be their starter of the future. This season, two of the better quarterbacks in the NFL have been Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones. Minnesota had both of them last year, and Darnold led them to a 14-3 record. Yet both were jettisoned to give McCarthy the starting job. McCarthy has missed 22 of 24 games since coming into the NFL, and he was not impressive in his two starts this year aside from one quarter against Chicago in the season opener. McCarthy is expected to be back on the field soon, and the Vikings have to get some answers on whether he can be the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be.
I was skeptical of the Vikings being good this year entering the season because I believed McCarthy would have growing pains, I felt their lines on both sides of the ball were solid but not special, and I didn’t like the talent in the secondary. In my latest mock 2026 NFL Draft, I have the Vikings taking Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell to help upgrade their cornerbacks, who have been targeted and exploited this season. Terrell is a great fit for Brian Flores as a physical, man-cover corner. Other cornerbacks that could be first-round options for Minnesota include LSU’s Mansoor Delane, Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, and Texas A&M’s Will Lee. The Vikings probably won’t be picking high enough for Delane, but McCoy could be a good value if he can return to his 2024 form.
Harrison Smith has had a great career, but Minnesota could use some youth at safety as Smith is declining. In the first round, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs would be a great addition, but he could be off the board before the Vikings’ pick. Other safeties they could consider on day two include Alabama’s Bray Hubbard, USC’s Kamari Ramsey, and Alabama’s Keon Sabb.
The Vikings spent some significant money in free agency to add veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, but they have been disappointing this year. Minnesota could also consider taking a young tackle if a good one gets to their first- or second-round pick. Clemson’s Peter Woods and Alabama’s L.T. Overton are quick interior players, but the Vikings wanted to get bigger, tougher, and more physical. Hence, some other tackles they could consider include Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington, Florida’s Caleb Banks, and Florida State’s Darrell Jackson.
If McCarthy struggles in the back half of the 2025 season, the Vikings should consider taking a quarterback, but most likely they will look to add a veteran to compete with him for the starting job in 2026. Minnesota will probably look for a young quarterback with upside like Darnold and Jones. The 2026 season could be a make-or-break year for McCarthy, and how he pans out could a significant impact on the coaching staff and front office. To help the Vikings rebound in 2026, adding talent to the defense, especially the secondary, is a necessity.
