2026 NFL Mock Draft: Round 3

The Cardinals have had issues at linebacker for a long time, so they could target the position with this pick.

Jake Golday has good size for a linebacker, but doesn’t have great instincts.

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Pick change; previously Drew Allar, QB

The Titans had a weak pass rush last year, so they’ll need to remedy that weakness.

Jaishawn Barham was productive, but has some pass coverage issues.

Andy Iskoe, a professional handicapper who joins me on our Wednesday live stream, said that the Raiders had the worst offensive line he’s ever seen. They obviously need to fix that issue.

Emmanuel Pregnon is a well-built guard who played at three different schools.

The Eagles will likely find two new offensive linemen to fix their blocking issues.

Drew Shelton is an athletic lineman who has played every position at Penn State.

The Texans signed David Montgomery, but he’s an older back. Houston needs a long-term runner for the future.

Demond Claiborne is a smaller back, but is a gritty and shifty runner.

Teams will always be in the market for cornerbacks in the middle part of the draft.

D’Angelo Ponds has size issues, but was a terrific player in college.

Washington’s secondary has been a disaster for far too long. The front office must take care of this problem.

Javon Kilgore is tall and thickly built. He picked off five passes this past season.

The Bengals must address the interior of their defensive line at some point.

DeMonte Capehart is a massive defensive tackle with upside.

The Saints could use some help at cornerback to deal with all of Tampa Bay’s receivers.

Keith Abney is a small cornerback but projects to play very well in the slot.

The Chiefs may not have Rashee Rice next year due to his new off-the-field problems. Receiver is a huge need.

Elijah Sarratt has speed questions, but he’s a tall receiver who can make contested catches over the middle of the field.

The Dolphins needed a safety before trading Minkah Fitzpatrick, so here’s an upgrade at the position.

A.J. Haulcy is a stiff defensive back, but really excels in zone coverage. He can play cornerback and safety.

The Steelers need to find their quarterback of the future.

Carson Beck quarterbacked Miami to the national championship, but it felt like the Hurricanes won in spite of him sometimes.

The Buccaneers have some issues in the secondary that must be resolved.

Daylen Everette has a ton of upside with a strong skill set.

Michael Pittman Jr. was traded, so the Colts need to replace him.

Malachi Fields is a big receiver and a red zone weapon.

The Falcons don’t have anything at receiver beyond Drake London. That finally needs to change.

Deion Burks is small, but has terrific play-making ability.

The Ravens have had great tackle play recently, but their guard situation is very suspect.

Billy Schrauth is great in pas protection, but he has an extensive injury history.

The Jaguars could stand to add another defensive back to stop the top quarterbacks in the AFC.

Kamari Ramsey has excellent coverage skills.

The Vikings lost their center to retirement, so a replacement is needed.

Logan Jones was an effective run blocker for Kaleb Johnson. He needs to improve his pass protection.

The Panthers need another edge rusher to strengthen their defense.

Keyron Crawford is a raw pas rusher who had decent production at Auburn.

The Packers currently don’t have a viable backup behind Josh Jacobs, so they may address that in Rounds 2-4.

Emmett Johnson is a very agile running back with great vision. Pass protection is a concern, however.

The Steelers have had sketchy tackle play for far too long, so that’ll need to be resolved soon.

Caleb Tiernan played both left and right tackle. He’s a tall, lengthy blocker.

Rashawn Slater is coming off a nasty injury, so here’s a new right tackle if he can’t return to the field.

Fernando Carmona is a tough run blocker with some upside in pass protection.

The Dolphins need some new additions to help them protect Malik Willis.

Kage Casey played left tackle at Boise State. He could be a swing tackle in the pros.

The Jaguars could stand to add another pass rusher to help defeat the elite teams in the conference.

L.T. Overton projects as a five-technique. He’s a tough defender with good quickness and athleticism.

The Bears need to continue to bolster their defensive line, which was the weak point of their team in 2025.

Chris McClellan is a big defensive tackle with impressive quickness for his size.

The Dolphins need many upgrades in their awful secondary.

Tacario Davis is one of the tallest cornerbacks you’ll ever see (6-foot-4). He tested well at the combine.

The Bills had a horrendous run defense last year, so they’ll need multiple personnel for their defensive line.

Darrell Jackson Jr. is a large nose tackle who has a bit of pass-rushing talent.

Given how bad the Cowboys were without CeeDee Lamb, they may want to add some depth at receiver.

Ja’Kobi Lane is a big receiver and an end zone threat.

The Rams had issues in their secondary last year, so they’ll have to spend a pick on that area, even after acquiring two cornerbacks this offseason.

Malik Muhammad showed some intriguing athleticism at the combine.

The Dolphins lost Jaelan Phillips, and yet they needed edge-rushing help before he was dealt to the Eagles.

Joshua Josephs has the potential to be a designated pass rusher in the pros.

Kevin Byard is an older player, so he could regress at any moment. I could see the Patriots going after two safeties in this draft.

Michael Taaffe was strong in run support for the Longhorns.

Rashid Shaheed re-signed, but Cooper Kupp is aging out of the NFL.

Skyler Bell is a speedy receiver, but is weak and needs to bulk up for the NFL.

The Vikings signed Kyler Murray and then re-signed Carson Wentz. If they move on from J.J. McCarthy, they’ll need a new young quarterback.

Garrett Nussmeier has great arm talent, but pocket awareness is a question mark.

The Eagles just re-signed Dallas Goedert, but for only one year. The Eagles will be looking to obtain a tight end for the long haul.

Sam Roush was a productive player and has good size for the pros.

The Steelers still have a lot of work to do concerning their secondary.

Keionte Scott is very instinctive, but missed a lot of tackles in school.

Reports indicate that the Jaguars will pursue a tight end in the middle rounds.

Oscar Delp showed promise playing second fiddle to Brock Bowers.