Shrine Bowl practices are underway as I write this and Senior Bowl week is about to begin. The conference championships are over and the calendar is about to flip towards full-throttle draft season. With that, it’s time for my eighth (officially published) mock draft of the season.

Now is about the time when you can start honing in on specific prospect-to-team fits. Free agency will obviously shake up a lot, and there’s sure to be a lot of prospect movement yet to come with the Senior Bowl and the Combine coming soon. But in the meantime, I tried to approach this more predictively than a “what I would do” mock.

For more information on all these prospects and to see how my rankings compare to this mock draft, check out my updated top 50 Big Board here. Below are all of my updated position rankings, which include full scouting reports on all prospects listed here and many more:

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Offensive Tackles
• Interior Offensive Linemen
• Edge Rushers
• Defensive Tackles
• Linebackers
• Cornerbacks
• Safeties

1 — Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

It’s time for the Mendoza era to begin in Las Vegas. Fresh off winning a national title and a Heisman Trophy, he’ll be the savior for a Raiders franchise desperate for good quarterback play. With no other quarterback worthy of a first-round pick — let alone the No. 1 pick — Mendoza is the easy answer here.

2 — New York Jets: Miami ED Rueben Bain Jr.

The Jets need a quarterback, but they’ll have to settle for the best player in the draft. Bain is a disruptive force on par with the best we’ve seen in years, and even though New York already has Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson on the edge, you don’t pass up a prospect of Bain’s caliber.

3 — Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State LB Arvell Reese

The Cardinals need to add more juice to their pass rush. Reese is an incredibly dynamic defensive weapon whose best fit in the NFL is probably on the edge. He’ll need some development, but his upside is immense.

4 — Tennessee Titans: Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

The Titans are probably hoping they can get one of Bain or Reese, but in this scenario, they’ll take Tyson. They got great production from a pair of fourth-round rookie receivers in 2025 in Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, but they still lack a bona fide No. 1 option. That’s Tyson, and he’ll be a big help to the 2025 No. 1 pick, QB Cam Ward.

5 — New York Giants: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate

Getting Tate to pair with third-year WR Malik Nabers (once he returns from injury) would be huge for the development of QB Jaxson Dart. Tate is a great compliment to the weapons New York already has, and he’d be a reliable three-level threat for Dart to throw to.

6 — Cleveland Browns: Utah OT Spencer Fano

The Browns desperately need upgrades at wide receiver and along the offensive line. With the top two receivers off the board, they pivot to the best lineman in this class. Fano is supremely athletic with easy movement skills. He’s a road-grader in the run game and has untapped upside as a pass blocker.

7 — Washington Commanders: Ohio State S Caleb Downs

This is probably where Downs’ range begins. The Commanders had the worst secondary in the league last year and Downs is a blue-chip prospect with insane college production. He can play multiple positions and would immediately upgrade both phases of Washington’s defense.

8 — New Orleans Saints: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love

The Saints have bigger needs, but they do need to add more weapons for second-year QB Tyler Shough. Do-it-all RB Alvin Kamara is reaching the end of his career and Love is an incredibly dynamic back who can line up in the backfield or split out wide.

9 — Kansas City Chiefs: Texas Tech ED David Bailey

The Chiefs need to get better at rushing the passer, and Bailey would allow them to do just that. He’s a twitchy speed demon off the edge who has the power to hold up in the run game and a deep bag of pass rush moves at his disposal.

10 — Cincinnati Bengals: Clemson DT Peter Woods

A hyper-athletic interior disruptor, Woods isn’t coming off his best season but his upside remains immense. The Bengals need to get better in both trenches and Woods would provide an immediate upgrade to their run defense and, down the line, should improve their pass rush as well.

11 — Miami Dolphins: LSU CB Mansoor Delane

There are several directions the Dolphins could go with this pick. Here, they take Delane, the likely top corner in this class who’s coming off the best season of career. He’s super fluid in coverage and is scheme-versatile, equally effective in man or zone.

12 — Dallas Cowboys: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles

This would be such a Cowboys pick. I’m a huge fan of Styles, a linebacker built in a lab for the modern game. He’s a converted safety but he has prototypical linebacker size, is smooth in coverage and delivers the hit stick in run support.

13 — Los Angeles Rams (via ATL): Miami OT Francis Mauigoa

Trading out of the first round last year to net an extra first this year will let the Rams add a much higher-tier prospect than they’d normally get a crack at. As good as the Rams’ offensive line has been this year, they could really use a stud tackle to park on the right side of the line, and Mauigoa is the perfect fit. He’s a mauler in the run game with excellent hand usage in pass protection.

14 — Baltimore Ravens: Georgia DT Christen Miller

I think Miller is going to go a lot higher than people expect. He’s a monster interior pass rusher, with quickness and agility most players his size don’t have. He’s stout against the run, too, and has the athletic profile to go in the top 15. With the future of DT Nnamdi Madubuike up in the air, the Ravens add a force to their defensive line.

15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Auburn ED Keldric Faulk

Faulk is the kind of edge rusher this Bucs front office tends to gravitate towards. He’s massive and quick for his size, a one-man wrecking crew against the run and with an evolving pass rush game. Faulk wouldn’t immediately be an impactful pass rusher, but he’d upgrade Tampa Bay’s run defense with the hope that he develops into a plus pass rusher.

16 — New York Jets (via IND): USC WR Makai Lemon

Garrett Wilson is a stud, but the Jets need a strong No. 2 option. Lemon fits that bill perfectly, a plus route runner who’s electric after the catch. With this pick, New York would be looking to their future by building an environment suitable for a rookie quarterback in 2027.

17 — Detroit Lions: Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane

This is the dream pick for the Lions. The interior of their offensive line was a disaster last year and was a big factor in the regression of their offense overall. Ioane is the best interior lineman in this class, with a supreme power profile and enough short-area quickness to thrive in the NFL.

18 — Minnesota Vikings: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy

Assuming McCoy’s medicals come back clean at the Combine, he’s basically a lock for the top 20. He didn’t play at all in 2025 after tearing his ACL last January, but now a year removed from that injury, he should be able to work out for teams. As good as the Vikings’ defense was last year, they need a long-term answer at cornerback.

19 — Carolina Panthers: Tennessee ED Joshua Josephs

I have Josephs ranked a lot higher than this, but he isn’t receiving a lot of buzz right now. Second-round ED Nic Scourton had a fantastic rookie season, but outside of him, there aren’t a lot of answers at pass rusher for the Panthers. Josephs is so quick off the edge, with fundamental play against the run and the type of twitchiness you just can’t teach.

20 — Dallas Cowboys (via GBP): Florida DT Caleb Banks

This might be an “eat your vegetables” type of draft for the Cowboys. Banks is absurdly athletic in his big frame, and though he’s been inconsistent throughout his college career, his best plays make him look like a top 10 pick. He brings some interior pass-rushing juice that Dallas could really use.

21 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion

Outside of D.K. Metcalf, the Steelers didn’t have any receivers defenses had to pay attention to. That would change should they add Concepcion, a dynamic route runner and after-the-catch slot demon. He’s a completely different body type and skillset from Metcalf and would add a new element to Pittsburgh’s offense.

22 — Los Angeles Chargers: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

Proctor played tackle in college but his best fit in the NFL is probably at guard. The Chargers could cut RG Mekhi Becton and they need to upgrade basically all three spots on their interior offensive line anyway. Proctor could slide right into one of those guard spots and would be an immediate upgrade, with the flexibility to kick back out to tackle in the event of more injury problems.

23 — Philadelphia Eagles: Tennessee CB Colton Hood

This feels like the sort of pick Philly would make. Hood is an athletic, versatile corner who stepped up in McCoy’s absence to take on a big role for the Volunteers this season. The Eagles had a major problem at their third corner spot between Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean all season despite trying multiple options there. Dropping a first-round pick on the position would be one way to make sure it won’t be an issue in the future.

24 — Cleveland Browns (via JAX): Washington WR Denzel Boston

Let’s make sure the Browns don’t go into next season without addressing their receiving corps. Boston is a big-bodied X-receiver who wins with great route-running chops and strength at the catch point. He’d immediately be the best receiver the Browns have employed in years.

25 — Chicago Bears: Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald

The Bears had issues stopping the run down the stretch of the season, so here they go out and get the best run-stuffer in the class. McDonald is a one-man force against the run, plugging multiple gaps and holding his own against double teams consistently. He’s not a passive run defender, either, with exceptional backfield production for a defensive tackle regardless of role.

26 — Buffalo Bills: Texas A&M ED Cashius Howell

Given the run on receivers that happened before their pick, the Bills instead pivot to adding a young pass rusher. Their defense is old and losing a step, and Buffalo needs to get younger on that side of the ball. Howell has been consistently productive at the SEC level after transferring up from the MAC, and he wins through a combination of technique and plus bend.

27 — San Francisco 49ers: Oregon S Dillon Thieneman

Thieneman would be a great fit in that 49ers defense. He’s versatile, capable of playing deep as a single-high safety, part of a two-high shell, in the box, or even in the slot. With the rise of defensive “star” players changing what defenses can do (like Derwin James, Kyle Hamilton and Nick Emmanwori), Thieneman is that type of player. He’s brilliant in coverage and is a plus athlete.

28 — Houston Texans: Oregon G Emmanuel Pregnon

The best offensive lineman remaining on the board, Pregnon can play either guard position. The Texans desperately need to improve their pass protection and run blocking, and Pregnon can do both. This shouldn’t be the only offensive line investment that Houston makes this offseason, but he’d be an immediate upgrade to one of their guard spots.

29 — Los Angeles Rams: Texas CB Malik Muhammad

The Rams need some size in their cornerback room, and Muhammad would give them just that. A plus athlete built for press-man coverage who also excels in zone, he has the kind of length and speed that Los Angeles currently lacks at the position. Currently a projected second-round pick, I think Muhammad’s stock will rise over the next few months.

30 — Denver Broncos: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq

A supreme athlete who runs with the speed of a wide receiver in the body of a tight end, Sadiq worked on his blocking a lot this season and that work showed up on the field. It’s no secret that the Broncos are looking for an upgrade in their tight end room, and Sadiq can be used in many different ways.

31 — New England Patriots: Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.

This is a strong Patriots defense, and they’ll stay that way by continuing to add young talent to it. Hill is the sort of athlete New England has started to prioritize on defense, and he offers upside in coverage the Patriots currently lack. He’s a good zone defender who’s put great man reps on tape as well.

32 — Seattle Seahawks: Arizona State CB Keith Abney II

The Seahawks might have the most complete roster in the NFL and there are a million directions they could go with this pick. Abney seems like their type, though, as an aggressive, athletic corner who’s a plus in man coverage with great zone versatility.