Monday Morning Draft – Week 3 2026

Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2027 NFL Draft:

Miami Dolphins:

Miami played the Chiefs tough, but lost at home to fall to 0-3 on the season. They are a prime candidate to land the No. 1 overall pick. The Dolphins started their rebuild last offseason by moving on from veterans Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Miami has some young talent, and the new front office had an outstanding 2026 draft class. The young players need time to develop, and the Dolphins look likely to be picking in the top 10 next April.

Tennessee Titans:

The Titans looked bad in the season-opening loss to the Jets, played the Eagles tough in Week 2, and then lost 12-7 to the Giants in Week 3. At 0-3, the Titans are among the worst teams in the league again. If they land the No. 1 pick, it will be interesting to see if they decide to draft a quarterback and move on from Cam Ward or trade down and build around the former No.1 overall pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Bucs fell to 0-3 at home as the Vikings' defense and special teams carried them past Tampa Bay. Baker Mayfield is a turnover machine and Tampa Bay should not have signed him to an extension. The Buccaneers could be ripe for a regime change (see the spotlight below).

Houston Texans:

The Texans and Chargers are the most surprising winless teams in the NFL this season. Houston has lost a number of close games this season. Houston has too much talent to go winless or land the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. However, they are winless at the moment with the Titans and Dolphins.

Los Angeles Chargers:

The Chargers looked like they might pull off an upset on the road at Buffalo, but the Bills came back to drop Los Angeles to 0-3 on the season. All the preseason hype of Mike McDaniel taking over as the offensive coordinator has not come to fruition, and the Chargers totaled only 16 points despite the Bills turning the ball over five times. Los Angeles has too much talent to go winless or land the No. 1 overall pick.

Top General Manager Candidates:

• Notre Dame general manager Mike Martin
• Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Kyle Smith
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers senior personnel executive Byron Kiefer
• Detroit Lions senior personnel executive John Dorsey
• Detroit Lions director of college scouting Brian Hudspeth
• Wisconsin general manager Morocco Brown
• New England Patriots senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith
• Baltimore Ravens director of college scouting Joey Cleary

Top Head Coach Candidates:

• Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman
• Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
• Former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott
• Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Tomlin
• Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
• Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase

Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:

• Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen
• New York Jets: Aaron Glenn
• Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles
• Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor
• Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken

General Manager Hot-Seat Tracker:

• Indianapolis Colts: Chris Ballard
• Tennessee Titans: Mike Borgonzi
• Cleveland Browns: Andrew Berry
• Washington Commanders: Adam Peters
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jason Licht
• Detroit Lions: Brad Holmes

Let's Play Matchmaker:

Pittsburgh Steelers: C.J. Carr, QB, Notre Dame

The Steelers got a huge win over their division rival, with Derrick Harmon getting a crucial strip-sack of Joe Burrow to deal the Bengals their first loss of the season. Pittsburgh enjoyed an efficient game from Aaron Rodgers, and after this season, they are going to need a quarterback that can manage the game and distribute the ball. Landing Carr in the first round would be a nice value for the Steelers if he gets to their first-round pick.

In 2026, Carr has completed 71 percent of his passes for 963 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. He has two rushing touchdowns. Carr (6-3, 205) developed nicely in his first season as a starter, and by the end of the year, he was showing NFL starting ability. Carr completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He was accurate, managed the game well, possesses developed field vision, and is a dangerous pocket passer with functional mobility. Carr is also known to have great leadership, character, and loves football. He could be a true franchise quarterback for Pittsburgh.

New York Giants: Cam Coleman, WR, Texas

The Giants got a 12-7 home win over the Titans and New York’s offense really struggled. Cam Skattebo (20-60) could not get going, and the receiving production was even worse. Skattebo (3-40) led them in receiving as well. No Giants receiver had even 27 yards through the air. This offseason, New York needs to get more weapons for Jaxson Dart.

Thus far, Coleman has 12 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns. In 2025 with Auburn, Coleman had 56 catches for 708 yards and five touchdowns with Auburn. While other freshman receivers got more attention, Coleman (6-3, 197) flashed tremendous ability with size, speed, and athleticism. He caught 37 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns in his debut. If Auburn can give Coleman more consistent quarterback play, he could explode as a sophomore or junior. Coleman would be a great pick for the Giants in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss

The Jaguars dominated the Patriots on Sunday with their defense creating turnovers and Trevor Lawrence playing at a very efficient level. Jacksonville had a rushing touchdown with each of their backs, and they managed the game well while New England kept turning the ball over. This offseason, they could continue to improve their scoring attack by adding a playmaking back capable of being a difference maker.

In 2026, Lacy has averaged 4.9 yards per carry for 191 yards and four touchdowns. He has seven catches for 16 yards. Lacy (5-10, 205) was a tough runner for the Rebels in 2025. He showed dangerous quickness and shifty running ability while helping the Rebels make a run in the playoffs. Lacy averaged 5.1 yards per carry for 1,567 yards with 24 touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 177 yards. In the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, Lacy would be a great pick for Jacksonville and an excellent fit in Liam Coen’s offense.

Washington Commanders: Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana

The Commanders had the biggest upset of the week with their two-point win over the defending Super Bowl champions. Washington’s defense forced three turnovers, and they were able to win despite totaling only 208 yards of offense. This offseason, the Commanders must get more receiving weapons for Jayden Daniels.

Becker has 19 catches for 370 yards and six touchdowns thus far in 2026. Becker flashed big-play ability with the Hoosiers in 2025 and showed an ability to stretch defenses downfield. In 2025, he had 30 catches for 614 yards with five scores. Becker illustrated some serious speed with his average of 20.5 yards per reception. To go along with speed, Becker has size and length at 6-foot-4, 204 pounds. He is reminiscent of Alec Pierce at Cincinnati. Becker would be a good pick for Washington next April.

Indianapolis Colts: Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State

The Colts squeeked out a two-point win over the Texans and Indianapolis avoided the dreaded 0-3 start. Alec Pierce is on injured reserve, but the wide receiver position has been a real weakness for Indianapolis. Keenan Allen (6-63-1) is not a long-term starter and they need more receiving talent for Daniel Jones. Here is a big outside receiver to pair with Pierce.

In 2026, Robinson has 13 catches for 262 yards with two touchdowns. He was very impressive against Alabama. Robinson has mismatch size, but runs well for a big receiver with some smoothness as a route-runner. In 2025, Robinson hauled in 56 catches for 1,081 yards with six touchdowns. While being a mammoth receiver, Robinson showed serious quickness to get downfield with his 19.3 yards-per-catch average. Robinson played at USC in 2023 and 2024. Robinson is a sleeper who went under the radar in 2025 with Florida State struggling. Robinson would be a nice second-round pick for the Colts.

Detroit Lions: Tae Johnson, S, Notre Dame

The Lions offense built a comfortable lead over the Jets before the Detroit defense allowed 14 points to let New York tie the game at 24 in the fourth quarter. Detroit’s secondary had issues defending the Jets tight ends of Kenyon Sadiq (7-105-1) and Jeremy Ruckert (5-39-1). The Lions are really missing Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph in the early going of 2026. While they will get Branch back this season, Joseph may never play again so adding safety talent is a necessity.

Johnson (6-1, 197) had a breakout season in 2025 for the Fighting Irish. Johnson was a playmaker, showing dynamic ball skills and instincts. He totaled 48 tackles with four interceptions and three passes defended. Johnson was just scratching the surface, and he could become a dynamic safety prospect. Sources say Johnson has worked really hard and is a good character presence for his team. In the first or second round of the 2027 NFL Draft, Johnson. could be a great pick for Detroit.

Atlanta Falcons: Colin Simmons, OLB, Texas

The Falcons dominated the Packers on Thursday Night Football as Michael Penix Jr. played well while Bijan Robinson and Drake London absolutely dominated Green Bay. Atlanta got one sack, but their pass rush has missed James Pearce and Jalon Walker. If they don’t add more rush talent, that could extend into 2027, as Walker will be coming off a serious injury, while Pearce is unreliable in avoiding suspension and keeping his off-field life from becoming a problem. In the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, Atlanta could add a rusher that is more reliable.

In 2026, Simmons has 12 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 2026. In 2025, Simmons had 43 tackles, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes broken up. In 2024, Simmons had an excellent debut for Texas and showed serious pass-rush ability with nine sacks. He also had three forced fumbles, 48 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception. Simmons (6-3, 245) has upside and could be even better after gaining experience. He would be a great first-round pick for the Falcons.

Team Draft Report:

In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Buccaneers have had a surprisingly bad start to the 2026 season falling to 0-3 after getting dropped by the Vikings. Tampa Bay plays in the worst division in the NFL, and the season is still young, so there is time for the Bucs to get back in contention in the weak NFC South. However, the franchise has been running in place since their Super Bowl run with Tom Brady ended. It would make sense for the Buccaneers to go in a new direction.

General manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles have had a good run with NFC South titles, but the Bucs could use new leadership. They have a good interior general manager candidate to consider in Byron Kiefer. If they decide to go outside the organization, they should target the Notre Dame tandem of Mike Martin and Marcus Freeman. Martin is a Tampa kid who was one of the architects of the Detroit Lions' great drafts that helped turn that franchise around. He also had an elite record as a scout with the Panthers and Texans (DeAndre Hopkins, Duane Brown, Arian Foster, A.J. Bouye, Kareem Jackson, and many more). Freeman could be a great coach to take over the Bucs locker room that needs young energy with positive leadership. Landing Martin and Freeman would be a massive coup for Tampa Bay.

There are a lot of needs on the Bucs roster including offensive line, wide receivers, secondary talent, and more pass rush. In the first round, South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart would be a great pick to pair with Rueben Bain if the Buccaneers are picking high enough to land Stewart. They could have a shot at some other pass rushers like Texas’ Colin Simmons, Alabama’s Yhonzae Pierre, and Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson. Stewart or Simmons could be really nice additions.

They could consider adding an elite No. 1 corner in the form of Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore. He is a top-10 talent with natural cover skills. Moore would be a great pick for the Buccaneers. Aside from Moore, there would be other quality options like Clemson’s Ashton Hampton, Georgia’s Ellis Robinson, and South Carolina’s Vicari Swain.

Offensively, it will be interesting to see if the Bucs find a true replacement for Mike Evans this season. Emeka Egbuka has gotten off to a slow start in 2026. Rookie Ted Hurst has a good skill set, but he is not enough to pass on an elite receiver. Chris Godwin is aging and not a long-term starter. In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay should have some good receiver options available. It is possible they will be picking high enough to land Ohio State phenom Jeremiah Smith, but if they are picking lower there should be other good options to consider like Texas’ Cam Coleman, Rutgers ’ K.J. Duff, Indiana’s Charlie Becker, Alabama’s Ryan Coleman-Williams, Indiana’s Nick Marsh, or Arizona State’s Reed Harris.

At the beginning of August, I did a video on our YouTube channel about how Tampa Bay was wise not to do contract extensions for Vita Vea and Baker Mayfield. The Bucs reversed course and signed both to new contracts. The Mayfield contract looks very regrettable, and I am surprised they were foolish enough to do that contract. As I said at the time, they could wait until after the season to see if Mayfield earned the contract. They could do an extension early next year or use the franchise tag to keep him. But it did not make sense to me to do a multi-year extension given Mayfield is 31 and has been a turnover machine. He leads the NFL in turnovers since he came into the league in 2018 and leads the league in fumbles since 2023. Currently, Mayfield has 128 turnovers in 126 career games. The Bucs could have kept options open to move on from Mayfield after this season with no penalty. Now, if a new head coach doesn’t want him, they are going to be stuck with him or have to eat a massive cap penalty. Tampa Bay did not learn from the contract mistakes made by teams like the Broncos with Russell Wilson, the Falcons with Kirk Cousins, the Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa, and the Cardinals with Kyler Murray. Being boxed in with Mayfield also could cause some desirable coaches to pass on taking the Buccaneers head coaching position. The Bucs have to hope that Mayfield will get things turned around and get back to playing more productive football.

The Buccaneers are at a crossroads for the future of the franchise. It feels like Todd Bowles is likely to be replaced after the season, and Licht should be fired with him. Getting improved leadership in the form of Martin and Freeman would bring the great change that Tampa Bay needs.