2026 NFL Mock Draft: Ryan Noonan Mock Draft 2.0
We're just one week away from the 2026 NFL Draft, which gives me seven more days to tinker with what the final answers to the test will look like for next week's final mock of the season. I haven't put out a mock draft since free agency hit, so here's where I see things as of now.
2026 NFL Draft
- Dates: Thursday, April 23 – Saturday, April 25
- Start time: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET
- Friday, 7 p.m. ET
- Saturday Noon ET
- TV Channel: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Ryan Noonan Mock Draft 2.0
1. Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
This one is clean and easy.
Positional Needs: QB, LG, DT, C, RT, WR, EDGE
2. New York Jets — Arvell Reese, EDGE/LB, Ohio State
The Jets also have the Colts' first-round pick, no. 16 overall, as part of the mid-season Sauce Gardner trade. It's tough to pin down a specific need, since they need an infusion of young talent across the board. The betting markets are split here, with conflicting reports on where the Jets' front office stands in what appears to be a two-man race with Texas Tech's David Bailey.
Positional Needs: QB, OG, EDGE, CB, WR, DT
3. Arizona Cardinals — David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
As I've stated previously, these partial regime changes are interesting to me. The Cardinals made changes to the coaching staff, bringing in Mike LaFleur from the Rams as head coach, while GM Monti Ossenfort remains. How long is Ossenfort's leash, considering he's yet to draft an All-Pro or Pro Bowler? He needs to field a competitive team in 2026, and Bailey led the NCAA with 14.5 sacks and ran a 4.50 at the combine, and he gives the Cardinals a solid 1-2 edge rusher duo opposite of Josh Sweat.
Positional Needs: QB, RT, RB, FS, DT, RG
4. Tennessee Titans — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Love is considered by most to be the best player in this class, regardless of position. New head coach Robert Saleh inherits a Titans offense that needs a true alpha weapon, and Love fills that role immediately. The Titans also acquired Jermaine Johnson from the Jets earlier this offseason, checking their most glaring defensive need and clearing the way to take the best player on the board here.
Positional Needs: EDGE, WR, RG, CB, LB
5. New York Giants — Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
GM Joe Schoen is in a tough spot. He survived a head coaching change but likely needs a strong 2027 to keep his job, but how much say does he have in this selection? I think Love is in play if he's still on the board, but Styles addresses a much bigger need for their roster than Caleb Downs, who is also rumored to be on their radar, does.
Positional Needs: RT, RG, WR, CB, LB, DT
6. Dallas Cowboys (Trade with Cleveland) — Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Cowboys have multiple first-round selections and need help at defensive back, including safety. Downs would be a home run pick for Jerry Jones and company, and his versatility and skill level are desperately needed in Dallas.
Positional Needs: CB, S, EDGE, LB, WR
7. Washington Commanders — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Washington gets their outside wide receiver. The depth chart looks pretty bleak outside of Terry McLaurin, and Tate fits in nicely for a team that used a lot of its cap space on the defensive side of the ball when free agency opened.
Positional Needs: WR, LG, TE, RB, CB
8. New Orleans Saints — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
I could also see the Saints nabbing one of the top edge rushers on the board here, but the Saints have more questions than answers at wide receiver behind Chris Olave. Tyson is a Top 10 sleeper with big-play ability and raw athleticism. He's a polarizing prospect, with a questionable injury history, but he's a dynamic playmaker when he's on the field.
Positional Needs: DT, EDGE, WR, CB, LB, RB
9. Kansas City Chiefs — Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
The Chiefs have multiple needs, but Bain at this range is too good to pass on. He's a big-bodied edge who fits the mold Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo have liked historically. I can't imagine the off-field stuff surrounding Bain Jr. is bothering the Chiefs at all.
Positional Needs: WR, CB, FS, RB, EDGE, DT, TE, LB
10. Cincinnati Bengals — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Mansoor Delane has the potential to be a set-it-and-forget-it perimeter corner opposite of DJ Turner. They've thrown draft resources and free agent money at edge in hopes of replacing some of Trey Hendrickson's production, but the defensive back room still needs an upgrade, and Delane is the clear CB1.
Positional Needs: EDGE, DT, FS, RG, CB, LB
11. Miami Dolphins — Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami
The Dolphins need help everywhere under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, and if we've learned anything about how their former team, the Green Bay Packers, handles the draft, I think that helps guide us here. Green Bay has recently prioritized highly athletic trench prospects with versatility, and Mauigoa is that and more.
Positional Needs: OL, EDGE, WR, CB, TE
12. Cleveland Browns (Trade with Dallas) — Spencer Fano, OL, Utah
Cleveland has another first-round pick at No. 24, and the overwhelming consensus expectation is that they'll leave Round 1 with an offensive lineman and pass catcher. We'll see what the front office prioritizes here, likely based on how they see the board at pick No. 24.
Positional Needs: QB, OL, CB, WR
13. Los Angeles Rams — Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Rams haven't selected a wide receiver in the first round since taking Tavon Austin eighth overall in 2013. Most mock drafts link Lemon to Los Angeles in this range, and GM Les Snead has earned the right to address an aging receiver room. Lemon gives the Rams a dynamic complement to an offense that still has championship aspirations.
Positional Needs: DT, LB, QB, WR, LT, S
14. Baltimore Ravens — Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
The Ravens let Isiah Likely walk in free agency, and while Mark Andrews is still in town, I don't think that precludes them from adding another tight end. And let's be real, Kenyon Sadiq is as much of a big slot wide receiver as he is a tight end.
Positional Needs: EDGE, DT, FS, WR, TE, G, CB
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
The Buccaneers lack top-tier edge talent, and both Yaya Diaby and Anthony Nelson are in the final year of their contracts. Malachi Lawrence has been a flag-plant guy for me from the jump, and it sounds like I'm not alone because he's suddenly getting a lot of first-round buzz.
Positional Needs: EDGE, DT, TE, LB
16. New York Jets (via IND) — Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Once viewed as a second-round prospect, Cooper rocketed into first-round conversation on the strength of 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025, followed by a 4.42 forty and a 37-inch vertical at the combine. The Jets have Garrett Wilson, and then a whole lot of nothing. New York's receivers not named Wilson have combined for two career touchdowns.
Positional Needs: QB, OG, EDGE, CB, WR, DT
17. Detroit Lions — Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Monroe Freeling posted a 10.0 RAS score at the combine, with the largest hands and third-longest arm length in the class. He could come off the board before this, but I doubt he makes it past the Lions if he's still on the board. This could also be Alabama's Kadyn Proctor, but Freeling is a cleaner projection in my opinion.
Positional Needs: EDGE, DT, S, CB, OL, LB
18. Minnesota Vikings — Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
I think this will end up as one of the more chalky player-team marriages in mock drafts. Safety is a centerpiece of Brian Flores's defense, and veteran Harrison Smith is not expected back. Those are big shoes to fill, but Thieneman is an elite athlete and checks all the boxes.
Positional Needs: S, CB, WR, RB, TE, C
19. Carolina Panthers — Caleb Lomu, OL, Utah
Lomu is a versatile player who can play guard or tackle, and that versatility will come in handy, as the Panthers are likely to be without injured LT Ikem Ekwonu to start the year.
Positional Needs: C, LB, FS, EDGE, CB, DT, LT
20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB) — Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
The Cowboys have prioritized young players (22 or younger) at premium positions in six of the past seven first rounds. By all accounts, Faulk is a high-character prospect who checks every box Dallas looks for in terms of leadership, and the Cowboys' message out of the building is clear: use both first-round picks on defense.
Positional Needs: CB, S, EDGE, LB, WR
21. Pittsburgh Steelers — Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
Vega Ioane looks like a Steeler. Pittsburgh's offensive line needs an influx of talent, and Ioane would give Pittsburgh a reliable starting guard from day one.
Positional Needs: QB, LG, CB, WR, DT
22. Los Angeles Chargers — Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Mesidor is nearly 25 years old, and some teams will pass on him for that reason. But the Chargers need to add pass-rushing depth after losing Odafe Oweh in free agency.
Positional Needs: EDGE, LG, C, RG, DT, FS, CB
23. Philadelphia Eagles — Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Proctor is a massive human being at nearly 6'7" and 352 pounds, and he gives the Eagles a long-term starter at a premium position. Lane Johnson seems to be on retirement watch every offseason, and GM Howie Roseman is also looking to add talent along the trenches.
Positional Needs: RG, CB, TE, RT, LG, FS
24. Cleveland Browns (via JAX) — K.C. Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Browns GM Andrew Berry prioritizes youth and athletic traits, and Concepcion is a perfect complementary receiver for a team that desperately needs to address the position. If the Browns take a wide receiver at pick no. 12, this will likely be an offensive lineman.
Positional Needs: QB, LT, RG, LG, C, CB, WR
25. Chicago Bears — T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
The Bears will select a defensive player here, with both edge rusher and defensive back being popular selections among the mock draft community. I like some of the Day 2 names at safety (A.J. Haulcy, Keionte Scott, Treydan Stukes), so getting one of the last Day 1 edge rushers makes more sense to me if the Bears see the board the same way.
Positional Needs: EDGE, DT, S, LB, OL, CB
26. Buffalo Bills — Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
No general manager has been as willing to draft outside the Power 5 conferences as Buffalo's Brandon Beane. Now, those non-Power 5 selections are often Day 2 and 3, but this is a perfect marriage. I'm planting a flag here with Rodriguez, a true three-down linebacker because he can cover (92.9 coverage grade per PFF) and is as efficient a tackler as you'll find. It'll look like a reach on draft day, but it won't 2-3 years from now when Rodriguez is the best linebacker in this class.
Positional Needs: EDGE, LG, C, WR, DT, CB, LB
27. San Francisco 49ers — Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Iheanachor's raw traits, size, and movement skills, long arms are tailor-made for a Kyle Shanahan blocking scheme. Iheanachor is in play from pick 19 all the way to New England at pick No. 31. He's a first-rounder.
Positional Needs: Outside OL, WR, CB
28. Houston Texans — Chase Bisontis, IOL, Texas A&M
Bisontis was a two-time member of The Athletic's "Freaks List" and a three-year SEC starter who made the transition from tackle to guard seamlessly. The Texans had cluster injuries along the interior defensive line last fall, but their interior offensive line is equally in need of reinforcement.
Positional Needs: RG, DT, SS, RT, C, LB
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR) — Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
A lot of early big boards had Jermod McCoy as the top cornerback in this class before he went down with an ACL injury last year. The Chiefs traded Trent McDuffie to the Rams and need a long-term answer at the position. McCoy, if healthy and cleared to play, is the steal of the draft at this range. That "if" will have him off some teams' boards entirely.
Positional Needs: CB, FS, EDGE, DT, TE, LB
30. Miami Dolphins (via DEN) — Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
The Dolphins are a tough team in this exercise because they have so many needs. Their secondary is dreadfully non-competitive if the season were to start today, and they didn't do anything about it in free agency. They have to take multiple swings here, and there's no better time to start than Round 1. Johnson is garnering quite a bit of buzz of late.
Positional Needs: EDGE, WR, CB, RG, TE, DT
31. New England Patriots — Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
The Patriots have a few glaring needs, but they shouldn't pass on a polished offensive line prospect if one is available. Miller owns the Clemson record for career offensive snaps and never missed a start in his collegiate career. He allowed just two sacks in his final season, and his pass protection sharpened every year. RT Morgan Moses played well in 2025, but he's 35 years old.
Positional Needs: EDGE, FS, RT, C, TE, WR
32. Seattle Seahawks — Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
As the starter opposite the injured Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood had the best season of his career in 2025, including a pick-six, a fumble return for a touchdown, eight pass breakups, and All-SEC Third Team honors. The press coverage skills are genuine, the athleticism is real, and at 21 years old, the ceiling is as high as anyone in this class at the position.
Positional Needs: CB, EDGE, RB, FS, RG
