Monday Morning Draft – Week 5 2026

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

Tennessee Titans:

The Titans looked bad in the season-opening loss to the Jets, played the Eagles tough in Week 2, lost 12-7 to the Giants in Week 3, and then the Ravens and Texans have cruised over Tennessee. At 0-5, 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.

Miami Dolphins:

The Dolphins lost to the Bengals after playing the Vikings and Chiefs tough in back-to-back weeks, but have not been able to win. 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 five next April.

Los Angeles Chargers:

The Chargers lost by six to the defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks to drop Los Angeles to 0-4 on the season. All the preseason hype of Mike McDaniel taking over as the offensive coordinator has not led to a high-scoring attack. 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:

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

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:

New York Jets: C.J. Carr, QB, Notre Dame

The Jets dropped the Browns by 10 points in the fourth quarter and had a suffocating defense that totaled eight sacks. New York’s offense got a solid day out of Braelon Allen (24-116-1), but the Jets passing offense struggled versus Cleveland. This offseason, New York could use one of their three first-round picks on a quarterback to replace Geno Smith, and a quarterback like Carr would be a great fit.

In 2026, Carr has completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,378 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception. He has three 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 also has great poise, composure, and an ability to handle high-stress environments. Having gone through a horrible family tragedy, Carr is able to keep perspective.

I could see Aaron Glenn loving Carr’s intangibles, intelligence, poise, and ability to distribute the ball accurately. Glenn has close ties with some at Notre Dame, and they absolutely love Carr. It will be interesting to see whether Glenn will survive and be the Jets head coach in 2027, but I could see him loving Carr as his franchise guy in New York.

Houston Texans: Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida

The Texans got their first win of the season as Houston held the Titans to a field goal in the first quarter, then shut out Tennessee after that. Prior to injuring his groin on Sunday, running back David Montgomery has been a disappointment for the Texans. He turns 30 after this season, and Houston could use a more consistent rushing attack to help C.J. Stroud. Taking a back like Baugh could be a game-changer and give Houston a smashmouth rushing attack.

In 2026, he has averaged 6.1 yards per carry for 672 yards with 12 touchdowns. He has seven catches for 46 yards. In 2025, Baugh averaged 5.3 yards per carry for 1,170 yards with eight touchdowns. He had 33 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot, 228-pound Baugh flashed serious running ability for the Gators in 2024 as a freshman. While other backs got more carries, Baugh showed a dangerous burst and power to get yards after contact. Baugh averaged 5.1 yards per carry for 673 yards and seven touchdowns. He had four catches for 33 yards and a score. Baugh could be a huge upgrade for the Texans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: John Henry Daley, DE, Michigan

The Buccaneers got a huge win on Thursday Night Football with an impressive road win in Dallas. While head coach Todd Bowles has gotten a lot of criticism, his defense has allowed only 33 points over the past two games. Tampa Bay has struggled to rush the quarterback this season as first-round pick Rueben Bain and free agent addition Al-Quadin Muhammad have recorded zero combined sacks this season. Tampa Bay could use more edge rush talent to help their young secondary.

Daley has 16 tackles with three sacks and pass batted thus far in 2026. He was excellent against Oklahoma. The 6-foot-4, 247-pound Daley was a beast for Utah in 2025. He dominated tackles with power, quickness, and an insane motor. In 2025, Daley had 48 tackles with 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Sources say that Daley has a bad body and his run defense needs to improve, but there is no doubt that he has natural pass-rush ability. He could be a nice addition for Tampa Bay in the early rounds.

Cincinnati Bengals: K.J. Bolden, S, Georgia

The Bengals got a road win in Miami, but Cincinnati allowed the Dolphins to score 24. Ollie Gordon (18-88-1) ran well, and Cincinnati could use more talent at safety to help their run defense along with their coverage in the middle of the field. A safety like Bolden would be helpful in defending Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Harold Fannin, and Quinshon Judkins.

In 2026, Bolden has 22 tackles with an interception and two passes broken up thus far. In 2025, Bolden had 76 tackles with two interceptions and five passes broken up. In a talented secondary, Bolden (6-0, 185) was able to earn playing time as a freshman and had an excellent debut next to Malaki Starks. Bolden totaled 59 tackles with one interception, one pass broken up, one sack, and one forced fumble. After gaining some experience, Bolden could be even better. He could stand to add some weight to his frame for tackling in the NFL. Bolden could make a lot of sense for the Bengals early in the first round.

Minnesota Vikings: Darian Mensah, QB, Miami

The Vikings got a road win in New Orleans to stay undefeated and maintain their two-game lead in the NFC North. At 5-0, Minnesota has been carried by their superb defense, and they were excellent again on Sunday, holding the Saints to 13 points. They only gave up 87 yards through the air and 55 yards on he ground. Kyler Murray has been just okay, but Minnesota could use an upgrade and a true franchise quarterback. J.J. McCarthy was a huge bust, and the Vikings need a long-term starter.

In 2026, Mensah has completed 84 percent of his passes for 1,438 yards with 15 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Mensah (6-3, 205) played well in his season with Duke. He completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns, six interceptions, and one rushing touchdown. After the season, he transferred to Miami to replace Carson Beck. Mensah has a quality skill set with good accuracy, poise, and some functional mobility. In 2024, Mensah had a good season as Tulane's starting quarterback, which led to him getting big-money offers in the transfer portal. He does not have elite athleticism or size, but Mensah is a dangerous passer and a point producer. He could be a great first-round pick for Minnesota.

Detroit Lions: Kelley Jones, CB, Mississippi State

The Lions came through with a statement win in Week 5. The statement was not their offense putting up 45 points in Arizona; it was their struggling defense holding the Cardinals to only 14 points prior to garbage time. This offseason, Detroit will need to find some cornerback upgrades and long-term starters.

Jones (6-3, 196) is a big cornerback with impressive coverage skills. In 2026, Jones has 17 tackles with seven passes broken up. Jones is long, physical, and has speed. On top of coverage skills, Jones is a willing tackler and run defender. In 2025, Jones had 34 tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes broken up. He had 28 tackles as a freshman. Jones would make a ton of sense for the Lions' first-round pick.

San Francisco 49ers: Greg Johnson, G, Minnesota

The 49ers got a tough road win at Seattle with their defense scoring and creating some huge turnovers that were the difference in their three-point win. The Seahawks defense played well, and the 49ers really struggled to contain Byron Murphy. He had two sacks and caused a lot of disruption on the inside of the line. San Francisco could use more interior blocking talent to help protect Brock Purdy and open running lanes for Christian McCaffrey.

Johnson has been excellent for Minnesota. He is a power run blocker who can generate movement at the point of attack. He is also reliable in pass pro to stop bull rushes or move with speed. Johnson (6-6, 327) was a rock-solid blocker for the Gophers in 2025, showing effectiveness in both phases. Johnson has size and power as a run blocker, with quickness, athleticism, and an ability to anchor in pass protection. He looks like he could be a very good starting guard in the NFL with a long career. In 2025, Johnson was the Gophers' left guard, but he also filled in with a start at left tackle and one at right tackle. As a sophomore in 2024, Johnson started all 13 games at center for Minnesota. He has versatility and could be worthy of being a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, according to team sources. Johnson could be a nice addition for the 49ers late in the first round.

Team Draft Report:

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

Dallas Cowboys:

The Cowboys were shocked on Thursday Night Football as the 0-4 Buccaneers came to Dallas and handled the Cowboys. Tampa Bay outplayed the Cowboys in all three phases, and the 2-3 Cowboys have had a disappointing start to the season. Dallas is fortunate to play in a weak division, but the Cowboys have looked like underachievers in the early going of 2026.

After fielding horrid defense, Dallas has been hell-bent on revamping that side of the ball over the past year and a half. Trading Micah Parsons started the revolution that has seen them trade for Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, and now Joey Porter Jr. They have also used first-round picks on Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. The Cowboys defense has still struggled this season, including with Bucky Irving and Jalon Daniels last Thursday Night, so adding more young defensive talent is a consideration. Clark is aging, expensive, and the Cowboys might need to allocate his money elsewhere on the roster. Thus, taking some interior defensive line talent to go with Williams could be a consideration. In the first round of my latest mock 2027 NFL Draft, I have the Cowboys taking Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, and he would be a great fit next to Williams. Other tackles to consider in the first round include Ole Miss’ Will Echoles and Miami’s Ahmed Moton.

If Porter is not signed to a long-term extension, that will be a poor use of a second-round pick, but one would think Dallas will get the extension done. If they were unable to sign Porter, the Cowboys could target cornerback help in the first round. They probably won’t have a shot at Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore as he could go top-five. There are other good cornerback prospects like Georgia’s Ellis Robinson, Mississippi State’s Kelley Jones, and Clemson’s Ashton Hampton.

As Dallas has acknowledged, it could be very difficult to afford a long-term extension for George Pickens after paying a huge contract to CeeDee Lamb. If Pickens leaves in free agency, Dallas could draw on a strong class of receivers in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Cowboys will not be picking high enough to land Ohio State phenom Jeremiah Smith. However, 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. If Pickens leaves in free agency, drafting his replacement in the first round could make sense for Dallas.

Dallas was my preseason pick to win the NFC and lose in the Super Bowl to the Buffalo Bills. That projection looks too optimistic, as the Dallas defense has not improved enough to this point to look like true Super Bowl contenders in 2026. The Cowboys have some good talent on both sides of the ball, and a good draft could put Dallas on top of the NFC East and in the mix as Super Bowl contenders in the NFC.