Pre-Super Bowl Mock Draft

Indiana

Barring a trade for an established veteran QB that I don't see happening, the 2025 Heisman winner feels locked into this spot. He'd give the Raiders the most hope they've had since the early Derek Carr years.

Ohio State

Along with the Arizona Cardinals behind them, , this is a tough spot for the Jets seemingly without a viable option at the QB spot to take here. There also doesn't feel like a Travis Hunter-level prospect at this spot. For now, I'll pencil in Arvell Reese, who has a little bit of Jalon Walker to his game, but this spot feels very fluid.

Utah

This selection feels likely to be along the offensive or defensive line for the Cardinals unless they like one of the non-Fernando Mendoza QB options enough to draft one of them here. . For me going O-Line, it feels like a dart throw between Fano and Miami's Francis Mauigoa. Fano is more athletic while Mauigoa is more of a big-bodied mauler.

Texas Tech

Here's some more juice for the Titans pass rush, something new head coach Robert Saleh could want given his defensive background.

Ohio State

Picking a safety at 5 could be a hard sell for some Giants fans, but John Harbaugh had Kyle Hamilton in his last few years in Baltimore. And in terms of talent, one could very easily make a case for Downs being a top 5 player (or better) in this draft class.

Ohio State

Ohio State receivers have been a very safe proposition come draft time in recent years. Next in line is Carnell Tate. He's never been Ohio State's #1 option, though that's not entirely his fault having Jeremiah Smith as a teammate for the last two years.

Miami

Defense feels more likely to me here than offense. Caleb Downs would definitely be an option if he were available. With him gone, turning to Rueben Bain felt like a wise move in this mock. Just hope his short arms don't get in his way of NFL success.

Notre Dame

Even if there were a QB potentially worth taking here, it feels like Tyler Shough showed just enough to be given a fair shake in 2026. Here he gets some help with Jeremiyah Love. Running back may not provide the best 'value' at 8, but Love could have a Jahmyr Gibbs/Ashton Jeanty type of impact for an offense.

USC

Some may feel like this is too high for Makai Lemon, but this guy gives off some Amon-Ra St. Brown/Jaxon Smith-Njigba/Puka Nacua vibes for me. He's not the fastest, but he's am expert route runner that catches everything. I like the fit between him and record speed demon Xavier Worthy

Miami

Bengals fans may not like me having them go defense with this selection (I'd get it), but protecting Joe Burrow should also be a priority. This is also a team that has shown it'll draft guys who had high 5-star recruiting rankings coming out of high school. Mauigoa would check both of those boxes.

LSU

The Dolphins are a mess. Selecting for them feels like a total shot in the dark at this point. Perhaps Ty Simpson or Trinidad Chambliss (if he's in the draft class) could be options if they're sold on either of them being franchise QBs. If not, your guess is as good as mine. Mansoor Delane could be the best healthy option at the cornerback spot, and I have a hard time believing at this time he'd fall much further than this.

Ohio State

Defense feels like the priority for the Cowboys with at least one of their first round picks, and perhaps with both of them. Similar to Downs at 5 and Love at 8, middle linebacker may not be the best 'value' pick, but in a draft class that doesn't feel so strong at the top, a pick like this becomes more defensible. Sonny Styles fits the modern day NFL linebacker and should be an excellent Day 1 starter.

Georgia

Pick is actually Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole MIss

Caveat here is Trinidad Chambliss is taking his fight against the NCAA to court to try and play for Ole Miss in 2026. I have no clue how that will turn out, but if he loses that battle, he's someone who could go a good bit higher than anticipated in a less than stellar QB class. Even though Matthew Stafford is the favorite to win the NFL's MVP award, even if he plays in 2026, he's much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Chambliss doesn't have great height, but he is mobile and athletic. Feels like he could be a Brock Purdy/early day Russell Wilson type if it all comes together for him.

Penn State

Former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is the new Ravens head coach. Naturally, some people could think defense with this pick as a result. But receiver and offensive guard are sore spots for the offense, and possibilities for this selection as well. Minter takes a page out of the Jim Harbaugh playbook and beefs up the O-Line

Oregon

Tampa Bay fans may prefer defense here, but adding Kenyon Sadiq to this offensive group of weapons could be an option if the draft board on defense doesn't play out the way they'd like.

Arizona State

A lengthy injury history could move Jordyn Tyson down draft boards a bit. Other than that, there's not a whole lot here to dislike. He's got size, route-running acumen, strong hands, enough speed and blocking chops. Given that he was coached by former Steelers great Hines Ward at ASU, you also know he had an excellent tutor.

Auburn

Faulk feels a little like Mykel Williams from the 2025 Draft class. Great size, should hold their own against the run right away, young for the class, strong potential and not yet finished products. Given that he is a strong run defender, he feels like someone who could fit what the Lions may want in a D-End. This was a tight call for me between Faulk and Caleb Lomu, the Utah offensive tackle given the need for a possible Taylor Decker replacement in the immediate or very near future.

Florida

Senior Bowl standout Caleb Banks cracks the top 20 after he was unblockable down in Mobile. He flashed the skill set there that he showed in 2024 before missing most of the 2025 season.

Washington

Bills get: Pick 19
Panthers get: Picks 26, 91 (R3), 166 (R5) and a 2027 4th round pick

Much of the 2025 draft for the Bills was focused on improving defensively. Josh Allen lacked reliable receivers to throw to this past season, so here they move up for Denzel Boston. Perhaps he could be the reliable bigger target at receiver they were hoping Keon Coleman would be when they drafted him a couple of years ago.

Tennessee

If not for a torn ACL, Jermod McCoy would likely not be on the board at this point of this mock. In the real draft, he could still certainly go higher than this. Obviously a lot will depend on how teams feel about how his recovery process is going. Dallas is a team that could certainly use his skill set on the outside. If the medicals check out, I imagine they'll take a long look at him with their picks.

Alabama

Pittsburgh obviously needs a long-term answer at QB. If they could have a redo, perhaps they'd draft Jaxson Dart a year ago. Ty Simpson started out the season well at Alabama, but he faltered down the stretch, and like many, I'm not really sure what to do with him in terms of placing him in a mock draft. I'm keeping him in Round 1 just because it's a weak QB class after Mendoza and having that fifth year option is nice, but it wouldn't be a total shocker to me if he fell to the second round given how poorly his season ended.

Utah

Browns get: Pick 22
Chargers get: Picks 24 and 139 (R5 via Raiders)

Cleveland wants 'their guy' at offensive tackle, so they jump ahead of the Eagles to get him. He's a bit like teammate Spencer Fano in that he's not the biggest guy in the world, but is an excellent athlete for the position.

Alabama

Proctor is a mountain of a man at 6'7" and over 360 pounds. The idea here is O-Line coach Jeff Stoutland working his magic with him and turning him into the successor for Lane Johnson at right tackle. But if for some reason that doesn't work out, it's certainly possible the big man could find a home inside at guard.

Ohio State

When Jim Harbaugh can beef up those trenches, you know he's very likely to do so. Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon could get a look here as well given the major need at the position, but Kayden McDonald would add another great run stuffer on the D-Line to team up with 2025 3rd round pick Jamaree Caldwell as long as Michigan man Harbaugh doesn't mind drafting an Ohio State guy in the first round. EDGE rusher would also garner serious consideration if the Chargers go defense here.

Clemson

Reading around online, I notice there are some people who feel like Peter Woods is a guy who should be long gone before this selection while others don't think he should go in the first round. So yeah, I don't really know what to do with him. That said, the Bears could use help on the interior of their offensive line, and this is a happy medium between the supporters and detractors of this player.

Miami

Miami's 'other' EDGE rusher, Akheem Mesidor, is a very talented prospect in his own right who feels like he's square in that late Round 1/early Round 2 draft range. Even with drafting Nic Scourton and Princeley Umanmielen (sorry if I misspelled it) on Day 2 last year, adding more pass rushing help should be on the agenda for the Panthers at some point.

Texas A&M

Although they lost by five touchdowns in the divisional round, being one win away from the #1 overall seed in the NFC and winning a playoff game showed just how gritty the 49ers were in 2025 given all the injuries they suffered. San Francisco has seen some talented receivers walk out the door, and it sounds like another one (Brandon Aiyuk) won't play for the team again. Plus, Ricky Pearsall hasn't lived up to the first round billing yet. With all that in mind, this feels like an excellent spot for Concepcion. Have Kyle Shannahan scheme this guy some looks and watch out!

Arizona State

An offensive line winner at the Senior Bowl, Max Iheanschor could be a sight for sore eyes for embattled QB C.J. Stroud, who would undoubtedly love some better protection up front.

Tennessee

Corner is a position the Rams could definitely consider addressing at the 13th pick, so a guy like Colton Hood at this point in the draft makes sense if they go another direction at 13 and he's still available. Hood at a strong week at the Senior Bowl, which helped solidify his draft stock.

Texas Tech

Cardinals get: Picks 30 and 130 (R4)
Broncos get: Picks 34 (R2), 104 (R4) and 181 (R6)

Hunter was another big winner at the Senior Bowl. I like pairing him with Walter Nolen on the interior for Arizona, so I had them move up four spots with the Broncos to make that happen. Similar to the Chargers, the Cardinals could also look for an EDGE rusher early.

Texas A&M

Howell is a guy I could've easily mocked earlier than this, and he could certainly go higher come April, but teams that had EDGE rushing needs before this spot went in different directions. So he lands here in New England with the Patriots, who add some pass rush juice to an already strong defense.

Clemson

Josh Jobe, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant are all members of the Seahawks secondary set to hit free agency in March. Perhaps they'll bring back one or two of those guys, but I doubt all three are back. The younger brother of Falcons corner A.J. Terrell, Avieon Terrell should be ready to play a sizable role in a team's secondary early in his career. Like Cashius Howell, he could certainly go higher, but I wasn't able to find a spot for him earlier in this mock draft.