2nd to last Mock Draft

Indiana

This is the only one I'm really confident about…

Texas Tech

Feels like a two-man race between Bailey and Ohio State's Arvell Reese. I have no idea which one's ahead of the other, but I've gone with Bailey in my previous mocks, so I'll stick with him here at least one more week.

Notre Dame

Titans get: Pick 3
Cardinals get: Picks 4, 101 (R4), 144 (R5) and 225 (R7)

Tennessee gets Cam Ward some help in the form of Jeremiyah Love, doing their own version of the Trent Richardson trade from the 2012 draft.

Ohio State

Cowboys get: Picks 4, 65 (R3) and 101 (R4)
Cardinals get: Picks 12, 20 and 112 (R4)

Dallas has hosted both Reese and Bailey, and the Cardinals seem to at least be entertaining the idea of a trade down. Let's get a bit spicy here! If Reese pans out, he could be like a lesser, albeit much cheaper version of Micah Parsons, who they traded to Green Bay a season ago instead of paying him themselves.

Ohio State

Tight call for me here between standout Buckeye defenders Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs. I'll go with Styles, who could be John Harbaugh's version of Roquan Smith.

Ohio State

Chiefs get: Picks 6 and 39 (R2)
Browns get: Picks 9, 29 and a 2027 3rd round pick via LA Rams/Chiefs

Kansas City lost a lot from their secondary with trades (Trent McDuffie) and free agent departures (Jaylen Watson). They beef it back up by trading up for Downs, who could become the new tone setter on the back end in KC.

LSU

Washington would probably hate to see all of Love, Styles and Downs off the board by the time they're picking. Unfortunately that's the scenario they're presented in this scenario. They pivot to LSU corner Mansoor Delane, who has firmly established himself as a shutdown, ballhawking corner these last two years.

Ohio State

Although I personally love USC WR Makai Lemon as a player, I'm not sure his personality will be for every team from what I'm gathering. That's why I'm going with Carnell Tate for the Saints this time around. He has no such questions about his character, and he's also a very good WR prospect in his own right. Coming out of the Ohio State/Brian Hartline factory, you know he'll be well prepared for life in the NFL.

Miami

Cardinals get: Picks 9 and 24
Browns get: Picks 12, 20 and 143 (R5)

Arizona uses a bit of its extra draft capita to move up for Francis Mauigoa to give them a long-term answer at the right tackle position.

Tennessee

After missing all of 2025 with a torn ACL, Jermod McCoy's pro day was a big one for both him as well as team's looking for a potential shutdown corner. He passed the test, and his draft stock appears to be back on the upswing again. His 2024 tape was outstanding, and now teams can feel like he's back and fully healthy again. Rueben Bain (more on him in a bit) or a different EDGE rusher also feel like possibilities with the Bengals.

Utah

Rolling with Fano here based on reports here that the Dolphins seem to really like him. He would bring inside/out versatility as well as an NFL-readiness to Miami. Plus I never think a team can go wrong with trying to build from the inside-out, so I wouldn't hate it.

Alabama

Proctor has come up as a name for the Browns of late. He's a mountain of a man at 350 to 360 pounds, but is much more athletic than he appears. Cleveland did some work helping its offensive line in free agency and trades, but the left tackle spot is still a sore spot. That's where someone like Proctor or perhaps Georgia's Monroe Freeling could come in.

Miami

Buccaneers get: Pick 13
Rams get: Picks 15, 116 (R4) and a 2027 4th round pick

Bain was always a bit of a polarizing prospect as it was with his very short arms. Now recent news that he was the driver in a car crash that left a passenger fatally injured has cropped up. Yikes. The Buccaneers decide to roll the dice, trading ahead of the Ravens to grab the Miami EDGE rusher.

Penn State

Unlike the Mendoza to the Raiders pick, I'm not 100 percent confident in this selection. But at the same time, Ioane just feels like such a perfect fit for the Ravens given their roster needs and what they like to do as a team. It's another pick I'm sticking with for now.

USC

Adding Makai Lemon to the Rams offense would be almost unfair. Imagine him with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and the RB duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum along with Matthew Stafford under center. The thought of it makes me shudder as a Seahawks fan, so I'm hoping it doesn't happen. But I'm not creating a mock draft based on what I do or do not want to happen, so Lemon is the Rams pick. And after a trade down no less that netted them two extra draft picks. Moving on!

Oregon

Vikings get: Picks 16 and 140 IR4)
Jets get: Picks 18, 97 (R3) and 162 (R5)

Even if Harrison Smith returns for another season, he's much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. And I couldn't imagine a better replacement for him than Thieneman, who is one of my favorite players from this draft class. Minnesota feels like they might have to get ahead of the Lions to snag him, so they make the trade two spots up.

Georgia

Long-time left tackle Taylor Decker is gone, so a long-term replacement is needed. He feels like a natural fit with the Lions, especially after they drafted his former teammate (Tate Ratledge) in the 2nd round of last year's draft.

Indiana

One more rumor I've seen is pairing Omar Cooper and the New York Jets. He might be better served as the 33rd pick, but I'm not sold he'll make it that far come draft time with the number of teams between here and the end of the first round that could well pick a receiver. With that in mind, the receiver needy Jets just snag him here and don't worry about their guy not getting to them at 33 nor about needing to possibly trade up for him.

Oregon

Operation give Bryce Young a big-time weapon worked out extremely well in the first round last season with the selection of Tetairoa McMillan at 8th overall. The Panthers go back to that formula by adding the draft's top tight end in Kenyon Sadiq.

Arizona State

Injury worries seem to be pushing Jordyn Tyson down draft boards some. At some point, the talent will win out. Cleveland is one team the talent could win out with given their major need for a competent WR. Tyson has also been extremely well coached the last couple of years by former NFL great Hines Ward at Arizona State.

Toledo

Do the Steelers take the plunge on Ty Simpson here, or do they wait on a QB (or perhaps not draft one at all) and go with a different position? I'm going the latter route as reports I'm seeing don't have me thinking the Steelers are enamored with Simpson. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren feels like a Steeler sort of player to me with his hard-hitting, physical style.

Arizona State

49ers get: Pick 22
Chargers get: Pick 27 and a 2027 3rd round pick

Philadelphia would be an excellent landing spot for Max Iheanachor. Sensing the same thing, and knowing a long-term answer at left tackle is needed with Trent Williams getting up there in age (but still playing VERY well), the Niners decide to move ahead of the Eagles to snag the big, athletic tackle. He's extremely raw, but in San Francisco, he could learn for a year behind Williams and Colton McKivitz while serving as the swing tackle.

Utah

Mocking for the Eagles feels like a total guess at this point. Defensive back, EDGE rusher, wide receiver (when/if A.J. Brown is eventually traded), tackle or even Kenyon Sadiq (if he lasted this long) all feel like realistic possibilities. For now, I'll go with Utah's Caleb Lomu as the eventual successor for Lane Johnson at right tackle.

Alabama

Having a second first round pick at their disposal, as well as the 34th pick in their back pocket, the Cardinals decide to roll the dice on Ty Simpson here. The Alabama product could give them a long-term answer under center, and they wouldn't necessarily have to throw him right into the fire with Jacoby Brissett on the roster.

Ohio State

Barring a stunning value at left tackle falling to 25 or a trade up, defense feels like the most likely scenario for the Bears. McDonald reminds me a bit of former college teammate Tyleik Williams, who went 28th to the Lions last year.

Miami

Dolphins get: Picks 26 and 91 (R3)
Bills get: Picks 30 and 75 (R3)

Miami continues its assault on the trenches. This time, they keep local product Ahkeem Mesidor in the building to help strengthen the pass rush

Auburn

Titans get: Picks 27 and 86 (R3)
Chargers get: Picks 35 (R2) and 66 (R3)

For better or worse, Faulk reminds me some of Mykel Williams, who was selected 11th overall last year by the 49ers. Robert Saleh was the Niners defensive coordinator last season and is now the Titans head coach. So I could see Faulk being of interest for him.

Georgia

Houston did a lot of work in free agency on the offensive line, so I have them adding to their already strong defense with C.J. Allen.

Missouri

Whether one wants to view this as a potential precursor to a rumored Myles Garrett trade or just view it as getting help across from him at the other D-End spot, Zion Young makes some sense here either way.

Washington

The Keon Coleman selection hasn’t worked out to this point. Denzel Boston is another swing at a big-bodied wideout.

Clemson

Chance for the Patriots to get a long-term answer at right tackle as Morgan Moses only has two years left on his deal and would be cheap to move off of in 2027 if the Patriots go that route.

Texas A&M

Chiefs get: Picks 32 and 188 (R6)
Seahawks get: Picks 39 (R2), 109 (R4) and 176 (R5)

Like the Bills trying again with a bigger-bodied wideout, the Chiefs go back to the Xavier Worthy type with another smaller, faster receiver in Concepcion. The Texas A&M product is not as fast as Worthy, but same general idea.