Three-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft

April 13, 2026

One of the biggest events of the NFL calendar is less than two weeks away, so it’s time for our biggest mock draft yet. In preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, set to start on Thursday, April 23rd, here’s a three-round mock of how things could go down. This class might not be held in as high regard as other years, but there’s still no shortage of intrigue.

We’ve also got tons of other draft content to browse, including scouting reports, rankings, rumors and a tracker of prospect visits and meetings. The rumor and visit trackers were leaned on heavily to put together this mock.

Three-Round 2026 Mock Draft

1 — Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

The most interesting question when it comes to the No. 1 pick isn’t who — it’s been clear since the start of the College Football Playoff that Mendoza would be the selection. It’s when; when will Mendoza take the field? Top Raiders decision-makers have been unified in saying that in an ideal world Mendoza would get to sit and learn without being rushed onto the field. They put their money where their mouth was, an extra $10 million to be precise, by signing veteran QB Kirk Cousins who has a ton of familiarity with HC Klint Kubiak and the offense. If Mendoza takes time to adjust to a pro offense, one that will be significantly different than anything he ran in college, the Raiders can roll with Cousins. He’s probably the favorite to start Week 1. After that? History says first-round rookie quarterbacks tend to play sooner than later, especially ones selected No. 1 overall.

2 — New York Jets: Texas Tech DE David Bailey

This pick is a good example of why sports books hate the draft but hold their nose and offer props anyway because they’re so popular. Books don’t have inside information and are connecting the dots just like everyone else on the outside, although perhaps with more sophistication. When Ohio State LB Arvell Reese became the obvious betting favorite a couple of weeks ago, books were reacting to mock drafts and analysis pegging him to the slot. With the recent wave of buzz about Bailey, they’ve shifted and the two have essentially the same odds now. It would not be surprising to see this flip-flop another time or two before the first round next Thursday.

3 — Arizona Cardinals: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love

For most of the cycle, an offensive lineman was the chalk pick here. But as draftniks have started to dig for more intel on the Cardinals specifically, it now seems more likely that Arizona will go in a different direction if it’s not able to trade back. They’re guaranteed one of either Reese or Bailey which would add more pass-rushing juice to a defense that’s lacked it for a while. If they’re okay with the positional value aspect, they could go after Styles and fill a huge need. Love has been mentioned as a wildcard for this slot, too, and I think that might be underselling how strong the odds are of him being the pick here.

The positional value proposition for Love at No. 3 is even worse than Styles, but we are seeing running back values start to grow again with the seesaw evolution of the sport. Love is one of the few true blue-chip players in this class, and he’d instantly be a huge star for a Cardinals team that frankly is one of the most irrelevant in the league and needs more good players — period. His skill in the passing game gives him more ways to return value on what would be a huge investment. It should also be noted teams with new head coaches often (not always, but often) tend to invest in the same side of the ball their coach has more familiarity with. First-year Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur doesn’t have a good quarterback option at this pick, but he can help make life easier for whoever that player ends up being.

4 — Tennessee Titans: Ohio State LB Arvell Reese

By the same rationale that led me to Love for the Cardinals and LaFleur, I think the ideal outcome for the Titans and new HC Robert Saleh would be to land one of the draft’s top pass rushers or defensive playmakers here. If Reese and Bailey are both off the board, the argument for Love over Styles to help build up the ecosystem around last year’s No. 1 QB Cam Ward is compelling. But Saleh has talked up his running back room and noted how defensive players should be considered playmakers, too. At any rate, Reese being available makes this an easy choice.

5 — New York Giants: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles

New Giants HC John Harbaugh has raved about Love, Styles and Ohio State S Caleb Downs, so much so that in isolation, each quote would seem to be confirmation of New York’s target at No. 5 overall. Instead, we have to parse who the perpetually sunny Harbaugh loves the most, as well as who might actually be on the clock. For me, Styles seems to check the most boxes when it comes to Harbaugh’s history of valuing the position and how traitsy of a player he is. Downs is whip smart and a great football player, but the problem with comparing him to other dynamic safeties like Kyle Hamilton, Nick Emmanwori or Derwin James is that Downs is not the same freaky athlete.

6 — Cleveland Browns: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate

The Browns are always a bit of a wildcard but the sense seems to be that with two first-round picks, Cleveland wants to leave Thursday with a receiver and a tackle. The question is how to do that in a way that maximizes the value on the board, including possibly trading down to add more picks to help the ongoing rebuild. There’s depth at both tackle and receiver in the first round, but for my money, the top of the receiver group (Tate) is a little better than the top of the tackle group. We’ll see if Browns GM Andrew Berry agrees.

7 — Washington Commanders: LSU CB Mansoor Delane

With just two picks in the top 100 selections right now, add Washington to the list of teams that would love to trade down if the opportunity presents itself. If they stick and pick, which is the more likely outcome, they should be in a great spot to get a really good player at a position of need. Tate or Styles might be the preference, and Downs can’t be ruled out, but Delane is a super-clean prospect and arguably the best player available at this junction. While the Commanders have invested a lot in the cornerback room the last few years, adding Delane would help complete the transformation from weakness to strength.

8 — New Orleans Saints: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy

Unless Tate has a mini slide, I don’t know that I see the Saints going for a receiver here given the overall depth of this class and the way the board falls. Cornerback has taken a hit in consecutive offseasons for New Orleans, as they’ve watched homegrown draft picks like Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor leave for deals they didn’t want to match in free agency. Adding McCoy to the room would help restock the secondary in a hurry. Despite not playing this past year with a torn ACL, McCoy wowed in a recent personal pro day for NFL teams, cracking sub-4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and looking like the high-end athlete who was viewed as a future first-rounder after his sophomore season.

9 — Kansas City Chiefs: Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr.

There’s an interesting amount of smoke here around the offensive tackles that I wouldn’t necessarily dismiss even though it’s not the Chiefs’ biggest need on paper. Still, Bain sliding this far is too good for Kansas City to pass on, and a nice silver lining from a disappointing season. He’s the kind of high-end pass rusher the Chiefs haven’t had access to picking at the end of the first round all these years. Adding him to a defensive line that still includes DT Chris Jones would be a big boost to help the Chiefs get back to contending. Bain gives the team another high-end rusher and a player who in time ideally would be the heir to Jones as the leader of the unit.

10 — Cincinnati Bengals: Ohio State S Caleb Downs

Safety isn’t the biggest need for the Bengals but Cincinnati desperately needs cornerstone pieces on defense and Downs could certainly fit the bill. It feels odd to call him a consolation prize even if edge rusher and cornerback are bigger needs. The local connection is a nice little bonus but Downs’ smarts, football character and overall talent are all traits the Bengals will find compelling. Even though the Bengals signed Bryan Cook and have talked up Jordan Battle, Downs is too good to pass on here.

11 — Miami Dolphins: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa

Receiver is a popular position to mock for the Dolphins here after they traded away WR Jaylen Waddle. But if GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and HC Jeff Hafley import the Green Bay team-building model to Miami, that suggests pass catcher will be more of a priority on Day 2. Mauigoa has blossomed right in the team’s backyard and is a nice, safe, middle of the fairway pick to give a team short on building blocks a piece to work with.

12 — Dallas Cowboys: Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.

This would be the first big curveball of the draft, and it’s set up by how the board has fallen in what might be a worst-case scenario for the Cowboys. Dallas needs defense but the board has been picked clean of the top talent at this point and taking a defender would mean reaching down into a lower tier. It’s easy to see why there’s so much buzz about Dallas moving up into the top 10 picks. With teams looking to move down like Cleveland, Washington and even Arizona all the way up at No. 3, Dallas should be able to make a deal if it’s sufficiently motivated.

If not, I wouldn’t sleep on Cooper. The Indiana star has been a hot riser throughout the process as the overall profile of the Hoosiers increased. He was dominant at times during the season, tested well during the predraft process and reportedly blew teams away with his interviews. The Cowboys have had multiple touchpoints with Cooper throughout this spring, including a formal Combine interview and an official 30 visit. Receiver might not seem like a big need with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but Pickens is year-to-year on the tag. Drafting Cooper would give Dallas a possibly elite trio in 2026 and flexibility in the years after that.

13 — Los Angeles Rams (via ATL): USC WR Makai Lemon

Some player/team fits make too much sense not to happen, and Lemon staying home in Los Angeles to play for the Rams after a dominant 2025 season with the Trojans is one of those matches. Lemon is a “Ramsy” receiver, as while he’s not the most elite athlete, he’s a tough, savvy, junkyard dog of a football player. He’s terrific in tight spaces, bleeds extra yards out of a defense after the catch and might as well have glue for hands. Los Angeles is big on using premium picks to attack certain positions like receiver, and Lemon would be envisioned as a long-term running mate for Puka Nacua once Davante Adams is gone.

14 — Baltimore Ravens: Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane

Another textbook team and player fit, Ioane doesn’t play a classical premium position, but he’s the clear top guard in this class and one of the few players who would likely have a consensus first-round grade if you surveyed all 32 teams. Given how much guard salaries have grown, I’m not sure that the non-premium position applies in quite the same way either. Regardless, this is a big need for the Ravens, who have made a living letting the board come to them.

15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq

Tampa Bay needs defense, specifically linebacker and edge rusher, but to me it feels like the remaining options at those positions would be big reaches. The same is true for defensive tackle and cornerback. Miami DE Akheem Mesidor is a popular pick here in mock drafts, but the 15th overall pick in my opinion is rich for a player who already turned 25 a week ago. If the Buccaneers go BPA, Sadiq enters the picture, just like last year when Tampa Bay selected WR Emeka Egbuka because he was such a standout player on their board. The Bucs have done a lot of work on the tight ends in this class, though admittedly more on the mid-round options. Sadiq would give the team a flexible chess piece weapon to diversify the offense and help them hunt matchups.

16 — New York Jets (via IND): Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

Receiver is a huge need for the Jets still and this could be a sweet spot on the board with the available talent. In this scenario, it’s Tyson who has a mini fall with three wideouts coming off the board ahead of him. If healthy, he has the talent to be the best receiver in this class, but that’s been a major caveat so far. He’s battled a hamstring injury all spring and has yet to do any tests or drills, though he has a personal pro day on April 17. The Jets roll the dice here in the hopes they can get a boundary weapon to complement star WR Garrett Wilson.

17 — Detroit Lions: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

There is significant buzz linking the Lions and Proctor, perhaps too much buzz. Detroit doesn’t typically show its hand like this before the draft. This year their list of 30 visits is notably more sparse than in prior seasons — and I’d wager it’s not because they’re not bringing in prospects. Mesidor is another player I considered for this slot, as the Lions strike me as one of the teams that wouldn’t care about his age. Still, the fit with Proctor does make sense. Detroit has a big need at right tackle with the release of LT Taylor Decker and the swap of RT Penei Sewell over to replace him.

18 — Minnesota Vikings: Oregon S Dillon Thieneman

Even though this has become a cliche mock pick for the Vikings to replace S Harrison Smith, Thieneman actually doesn’t have a ton in common with the longtime Minnesota veteran apart from playing the same position with the same skin tone. Smith is substantially taller, bigger and longer. Thieneman is dramatically more explosive, hitting 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash while Smith was at 4.57 seconds. But Smith had absurd agility times while Thieneman didn’t run those drills at either the Combine or his pro day. Still, Thieneman is an excellent safety prospect and that position plays a premium for Vikings DC Brian Flores‘ unique scheme.

19 — Carolina Panthers: Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion

The Panthers had an outstanding free agency period in March, freeing them up to take a true best player available approach to the top of this draft. That could very well mean a third straight first-round receiver, joining Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette. Concepcion, a local product who grew up in Charlotte and started his career at N.C. State, brings a different flavor to the room than McMillan, Legette and Jalen Coker, all bigger-bodied receivers. Concepcion is just 6-0 and 196 pounds, but is super quick and hard to get a bead on after the catch. The Panthers have talked about adding a yards after catch weapon to help QB Bryce Young continue to grow his game and Concepcion checks all the boxes of that job description.

20 — Dallas Cowboys (via GB): Auburn DL Keldric Faulk

Dallas swings back around to defense with its second first-round pick as the board starts to flatten out. Faulk is someone I wouldn’t discount for their first pick given their needs. He’s a classic traits over production prospect. The numbers don’t jump off the page but Faulk moves absurdly well for being 6-6 and 275-plus pounds, and he doesn’t turn 21 until after Dallas plays its first game of the season (most likely). I’m not sure that he satisfies the Cowboys’ need for a high-end edge rusher and he might end up fitting better along the interior, but I can see Dallas being willing to roll the dice. His work ethic has drawn praise, so whatever his ceiling is, the odds are better he’ll reach it.

21 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Utah OT Spencer Fano

Fano is often off the board much, much earlier than this — as early as No. 6 overall to Cleveland. If they believe in him as a future left tackle, that would make sense. However, Fano didn’t check the usual boxes for size and length that teams want to see out of their prototypical left tackle prospects, which created some buzz that he might be better suited to play guard or even center. That could push him down some boards. The Steelers could slot him at multiple spots, though. If former first-round LT Broderick Jones stays out with his neck injury, Fano gives them an alternative at tackle. Otherwise, he could step in at guard to replace departed veteran Isaac Seumalo.

22 — Los Angeles Chargers: Clemson DE T.J. Parker

There’s a big cluster of edge rushers for the Chargers to sort through here, including Parker, Mesidor, Missouri’s Zion Young (who they have reportedly hosted for a 30 visit) and even UCF’s Malachi Lawrence. Mesidor makes some sense as someone who’s ready to play right away for a contending team, but Parker just fits the mold for the Chargers’ edge rushing room a little better for me. He’s longer than Mesidor, has the requisite size and bulk Los Angeles looks for in the position, and had a solid pre-draft process to regain the momentum he lost after being viewed as a potential top-ten pick ahead of his junior year.

23 — Philadelphia Eagles: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling

Philadelphia is expected to make a heavy investment on the offense in the draft this year after a couple years of loading up on defense. As always, a premium will be put on building through the line of scrimmage. Freeling has picked up steam since the end of the season thanks to his outstanding athletic testing and because he’s one of the few prospects in this class who just looks like a left tackle getting off the bus. He’s 6-7, 315 pounds, has over 34-inch arms and ran the 40 in 4.93 seconds. He also played at Georgia and the Eagles love plucking from that program. Freeling would get a season to learn under RT Lane Johnson, maybe more, which is good because he needs time in the weight room and to work on his technique before he’s ready to be a starter.

24 — Cleveland Browns (via JAX): Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor

Even if the run on tackles starts earlier, the Browns should be in a good spot to land a quality player. Iheanachor was seen more as a second-round prospect entering this spring, but has crept up the consensus board as his upside has become more obvious. He didn’t start playing football until high school and has surged forward since then on natural talent with terrific size, length, quickness and work ethic. For a Browns team that is still in the middle of a multi-year rebuild, it makes sense to prioritize a player like Iheanachor with traits and potential, as in theory there should be more time and patience for him to develop.

25 — Chicago Bears: Miami DE Akheem Mesidor

I would be nervous about Mesidor’s age as a general manager. It’s not just that he’ll be knocking on the door of 30 years old by the time he’s eligible for a second contract, it’s that even in an expanded eligibility, post-COVID and post-NIL world, a 23 or 24-year-old man has an advantage competing against athletes far less mature than he is, in multiple senses of the word. Still, the tape is the tape and the tape is impressive. Teams looking for pass rushers ready to come in and play immediately, like Chicago, will find Mesidor intriguing. The Bears haven’t been able to make a major addition to their pass rush yet this offseason, which makes their first-round pick a prime spot to watch for that.

26 — Buffalo Bills: UCF DE Malachi Lawrence

This is a big year for Bills GM Brandon Beane. He’s already made a big move for a receiver in an attempt to solve continued, year-over-year problems at one position. Edge rusher is another area where the production has not matched the investment under Beane. My hunch is he goes one of those two directions in the first round and I like Lawrence here, who is an interesting dark horse to sneak into the back end of the top 32 picks. His length, speed and explosiveness set him apart from some other options here and would bring something different to Buffalo’s edge rushing room, which is transitioning to a new scheme under first-year DC Jim Leonhard.

27 — San Francisco 49ers: Washington WR Denzel Boston

The 49ers could and arguably should break precedent here and make a big investment into the offensive line, especially at tackle. History says they’ll prioritize other positions and wait to address the front five until the middle rounds, though. Receiver and edge rusher are two prime positions to watch in the first round for San Francisco. I think guys like Concepcion, Cooper and Lawrence would rank very high on the 49ers’ draft board. None of them are available, though, so they go with Boston — not the traditional archetype for San Francisco at the position but perhaps that’s fortuitous since he’ll have at least a year to study under Mike Evans.

28 — Houston Texans: Clemson RT Blake Miller

Despite signing three new starting offensive linemen in free agency (four if you count keeping G Ed Ingram), look for the Texans to keep investing in the front five to secure a more sustainable future up front. Miller isn’t the gaudiest prospect but he’s a high-floor player who was voted a team captain at Clemson and received high marks for his toughness and his intangibles. Houston’s ongoing offensive line renovation hasn’t just been about talent but also about remaking the culture of the unit. Miller’s the exact kind of person, not just player, that they’ve been prioritizing.

29 — Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR): Utah OT Caleb Lomu

As noted in the write-up of the Bain pick at No. 9, tackle might not be the biggest need for the Chiefs on paper but they’ve shown a lot of interest in the prospects in this class. The starting spots seem sewn up between Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore, but perhaps the Chiefs know something the rest of us don’t. Simmons was a revelation as a rookie despite his midseason hiatus due to personal issues. Moore is making $15 million a year and is entering a contract year. Lomu needs some developmental time but could take over for Moore in 2027, ideally giving the Chiefs two young bookends that they don’t have to worry about for the better part of the next decade.

30 — Miami Dolphins (Via DEN): San Diego State CB Chris Johnson

You could throw a dart at the remaining draft board and hit a player who would immediately start for the Dolphins. It’s a good thing they have seven top-100 picks, because they have a lot of needs they’re going to be addressing. It feels a little weird to kick the can on a pass catcher after trading Waddle but the board is deeper at receiver. No matter what, new QB Malik Willis is going to be relying heavily on rookies. The secondary is also in pretty bleak shape for the Dolphins right now. Johnson would be a step back in the right direction. A good-sized zone corner who tested far better than expected, the biggest knock against Johnson is the level of competition coming from the Mountain West. He fits exactly what Hafley is looking for at corner.

31 — New England Patriots: Missouri DE Zion Young

The Patriots have indicated they view pass rush as their biggest need. Fortunately it’s a deep class and there could still be some strong options even this late into the first round. Young’s game is built around power and strength, and he brings an edge and a presence that some teams will gleefully add to their defense.

32 — Seattle Seahawks: Tennessee CB Colton Hood

Seattle’s roster is in great shape aside from one or two places. Running back is the Seahawks’ biggest need but this is far too early for the second-best back in the class. Safety, guard and defensive tackle is where the board is strong right now, and the Seahawks could actually justify picks at all of those positions. There’s no need to get cute, though. Hood has strong size and measurables and the Seahawks need to replace a lot of snaps after losing CB Riq Woolen in free agency.

Continue To Round 2

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