2026 NFL Mock Draft: Connor Allen's 2.0
The last few weeks have been interesting. Teams are starting to finalize boards, make decisions, and as that happens, small tidbits of information start leaking out. Some of it is true, some of it is a smokescreen. Our job here is to parse that and build the most accurate mock as possible. As always, the goal here is accuracy and what I think the team will do, not what I would do if I were running the show.
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2026 NFL Mock Draft 2.0
1. Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Not worth spending much time on. The Raiders need a quarterback, Mendoza is the clear QB1, and his National Championship run only solidified it. Lock it in. They also brought in Kirk Cousins to babysit Mendoza for a bit, but I can’t fathom that lasting long after his arm looked like a limp noodle-trebuchet the last two years.
2. Jets: Arvell Reese, DL, Ohio State
This is a polarizing pick right now. A week or so ago, this seemed all but done. Then, in the last few days, we have Daniel Jeremiah and Peter Schrager saying on a show that they are hearing it will be David Bailey. Then Albert Breer and Tod McShay did a show where they both said it will be Bailey, with Breer going as far as to say “fait acompli” which essentially means, all but done.
So, why do I still have Reese here?
Bookmaker is a sharp offshore sportsbook that takes legitimate action. They are taking to win $1,000 per bet with the ability to re-bet after they have a chance to move the line. A day after all of the national reporters came out and talked about it being Bailey, Bookmaker still has Reese as the -203 favorite. On top of that, the Badlands crew (Connor Rogers/Joe Capruso) and Rich Cimini all still believe it to be Reese. I don’t enjoy betting against the big national guys, as historically they are more accurate than local guys. However, at this point, with sharp books not budging and even regular books that have previously flipped on a dime when big reporters mention something like this hardly moving, I still lean toward Reese.
He fits the Brian Duker / Karl Dunbar 3-4 perfectly, whether he plays on the EDGE or off the ball. Aaron Glenn also talked about earlier this offseason that they want more hybrid looks and to move guys around more. Reese fits that to a tee.
3. Cardinals: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort has drafted premium positions at the highest rate among qualified GMs at 79% overall, and in Rounds 1 and 2, he is at 100% premium and 100% Power 5. He has also taken seven straight top-50 picks at premium positions, none older than 22.6, and has not drafted a single sub-7.2 RAS player in the first 150 picks. (H/T Clev TA). Bailey checks every single box. He is a 9.65 RAS, 22-year-old, premium-position monster from a Power 5 school. I think they are a potential trade-down candidate if the Cowboys want to come up and grab Bailey, as they are rumored to really like him.
4. Titans: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Stay with me here, because this isn’t nearly as crazy as it seems. I think if either Bailey or Reese is still here, the Titans run the card up. But they aren’t, and there is a good chance they won’t be. The two most-popular selections for the Titans after Bailey and Reese would be RB Jeremiyah Love and DE Rueben Bain. Recently, Daniel Jeremiah mentioned he does not see the Titans as a Reuben Bain team and hasn’t heard any buzz about the pairing.
Adam Schefter mentioned he didn’t believe the Titans were a Jeremiyah Love team either. The team also said multiple times this offseason how much they like Tony Pollard, and then recently signed pass-catching back Michael Carter.
• GM Mike Borgonzi on March 30th: “Where we’re at right now, we want to take the best player available. I feel good about our running backs.”
• HC Robert Saleh on March 31st: “I love our running back room. I think Tony Pollard is a damn good football player. It’s a great 1-2 punch; they both run with physicality, and they both have versatility out of the backfield. I’m a believer in our backfield, and I think it’s a group that can help our team.” (H/T Coachspeak Index)
We just saw a team take on a stud rookie running back that wasn’t ready for it (Ashton Jeanty to the Raiders), and it failed pretty miserably.
On the other hand, you know how else you can help a young quarterback? Giving him guys to throw to. His pass-catching group, as it stands, is among the worst in the league.
They currently have: Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, K.J. Osborn, Calvin Ridley, with their big offseason addition being Wan’Dale Robinson. Could this wind up being Sonny Styles? Potentially. I am just skeptical of both Love and Bain at the moment.
5. Giants: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Styles is an athletic freak who broke the combine with a 9.99 RAS. On top of that, ESPN’s Jordan Reid mentioned that Styles is very much in play at 5 despite not being a premium position. “Talking to league sources, the Giants wouldn't be shy about drafting an off-ball linebacker at No. 5, making Styles a real possibility.”
They have needs at right guard, but instead of taking a guard this high, they likely opt for Styles.
6. Browns: Spencer Fano, OL, Utah
Cleveland has a real need at left tackle. Fano potentially gives them a long-term answer there. Andrew Berry's full-draft average age is 22.0, the youngest among GMs. Fano is 21 (22 in November) with a 9.80 RAS. Berry has also gone 8-for-8 on top-2 round picks at 8.4+ RAS.
There were some concerns about Fano’s arm length at the combine, but his arms met the baseline thresholds at his Pro Day. Fano clears every Berry filter and addresses a need in a big way. The Browns are another trade-down candidate.
7. Commanders: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
The Commanders mentioned multiple times this offseason that they need to continue adding playmakers. Love would do that for them. Jacory Croskey-Merritt also had multiple opportunities to lock down the RB1 role last season and was never really able to do that.
Watch for Mansoor Delane or Reuben Bain here if they want to go with defense.
8. Saints: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Mickey Loomis loves athletic premium-position players and has gone 9 straight Rounds 1-2 picks at premium positions. He also has a 10-for-10 floor on R1 picks at 8.0+ RAS. Delane fits both. He's also from LSU, which feeds the New Orleans pipeline. The Saints lost slot CB Alontae Taylor to Tennessee, so corner is one of their cleanest needs alongside WR and edge.
9. Chiefs: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
After losing multiple players in the secondary, McCoy makes a ton of sense if his medicals come up clean for the Chiefs. McCoy is a stud and would be a great fit as the Chiefs start to re-build that secondary.
10. Bengals: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
Duke Tobin's R1 archetype is the most rigid in the league. Six straight first-rounders fit the same mold: under 21.6, 9.0+ RAS expected, premium position only, Power conference. (H/T Clev). Bain is 21, a premium position, and comes from the ACC. The Bengals also badly need help on defense to be competitive.
11. Dolphins: Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami
Miami needs help everywhere, but bolstering the OL would be a good start to give Malik Willis and company a chance.
12. Cowboys: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Cowboys reportedly love Caleb Downs and David Bailey. I think the Cowboys are very much live to trade up and take either of them as they try to make big moves to replace Micah Parsons. They already traded for Quinnen Williams last year, but gave up a 2026 second and a 2027 first.
I’m not sure how much ammo they have to move up outside of some mid-round picks this year, the 20th pick, and next year's second. That could be enough to get in the 5 or 6 range, but I doubt it’s enough to get up to 2 or 3 for Bailey.
13. Rams: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
With Puka Nacua checking into rehab and Davante Adams nearing the end of his career, I would be pretty surprised if the Rams don’t take a wideout here, whether it be Lemon, Tyson, or Cooper.
14. Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State
This seems like one of the cleanest player-to-team fits in the draft, given what they lost and the rave reviews in Dane Brugler’s The Beast about Vega’s character. DeCosta has historically drafted more BPA than any GM (he hit on Hamilton, Linderbaum, and Starks at non-premium spots) as well.
15. Buccaneers: Malachi Lawrence, DL, Central Florida
Tampa needs help on the edge, and Lawrence brings real athletic upside after running a 4.52 40 and 130 broad jump. Teams apparently are very interested in Lawrence after 27.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks in his tenure at UCF. This is closer to the top end of his range but seems to be in play.
16. Jets: Omar Cooper, WR, Florida State
I’m not sure if Cooper is the guy here, but I do think they go with a wideout. The Jets have a clear WR need behind Garrett Wilson, and Cooper gives them a true outside complement. With Geno Smith likely the bridge starter and the Jets sitting on multiple first-rounders in 2027, this isn't the year to force a QB. Cooper at 16 fills the explicit need.
17. Lions: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Since we had Proctor to the Lions, it has only picked up even more steam. There is a chance that Proctor goes before the Lions, but they seem like a very clean fit. Detroit needs a long-term answer at left tackle after moving on from Taylor Decker, and Proctor is exactly the Brad Holmes swing.
Holmes has gone 100% Power 5 in Rounds 1 and 2 and has a documented love of SEC tackles (the Penei Sewell archetype). All 13 of his top-2 round picks have come from Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, Kentucky, and Washington. Proctor is 20 years old, Bama, and massive.
18. Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
This is mocked at a crazy high clip right now, and I’m not going to get in front of it. Thieneman has been ridiculously productive (100+ tackles in his first two years and 96 more at Oregon last year) and gives Brian Flores another versatile chess piece on the back end. He's the kind of safety that almost always goes earlier than expected once teams start lining up.
19. Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Bryce Young needs more weapons, and Sadiq is a real mismatch. He's 245 pounds, jumps 41.5 inches, and put up absurd Combine numbers. Dan Morgan has the most athletic R1-2 profile among qualified GMs at 9.9 average RAS and a perfect 100% Power 5 rate. Sadiq fits both.
GM Dan Morgan said: “With the 19th pick, we really have the opportunity to bring a player in that can help us immediately… I don’t really believe in drafting for depth or doing things like that. It’s like, ‘Who can impact our team at that level?’ It could be a wideout. It could be a tight end. It could be a safety.”
20. Cowboys: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Dallas already grabbed Downs at 12 and now circles back to address the bigger structural need on defense. Faulk is big, young, and toolsy with immediate run-defense value, and the pass-rush polish should come along. The Cowboys need to keep adding to their defense, and with Faulk and Downs, they would be in a good spot to improve their defense quickly
21. Steelers: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Omar Khan has met with all 10 of his picks in the top three rounds, and Johnson is one of them so far. He also loves targeting athletic players with the second-highest average RAS score and premium positions. Johnson posted a 9.84 RAS and plays a premium position that the Steelers need. This is a bit higher than you will see in most mocks, but it seems very much in play.
22. Chargers: Monroe Freeling, OL, Georgia
The Chargers' season was primarily derailed by OL injuries last year, so adding depth might be their move here. Joe Hortiz's first two drafts leaned offense heavily, and all four of his R1-2 picks came in at 9.2+ RAS. Freeling is 21 from Georgia with a 9.99 RAS and the kind of long-term tackle tools the Chargers could use as a developmental piece behind the core or slide some players around.
23. Eagles: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
On a podcast with Mina Kimes, Daniel Jeremiah said that “AJ Brown is a Patriot” in a very matter-of-fact way. This leaves a gap for a guy like Tyson (if the medicals check out). As we talked about with Jerrod McCoy, talent isn’t the issue, and his ceiling is much higher than where he will be picked if he can stay healthy.
24. Browns: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Cleveland starts the draft with Fano and now adds Boston to a receiving group that needs a lot of help.
25. Bears: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
Safety is one of Chicago's most obvious needs after the departures of Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, leaving the position. Ryan Poles loves good athletes, with Round 1-2 non-QB picks averaging a 9.4 RAS, third-best among qualified GMs. McNeil-Warren is at an 8.98 RAS, well above average and approaching elite.
26. Bills: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Buffalo still needs more juice at receiver even after the DJ Moore trade. The Keon Coleman experiment is on life support, and Concepcion gives Josh Allen a real after-the-catch threat.
27. 49ers: Caleb Lomu, OL, Utah
San Francisco needs young offensive line reinforcements, and Lomu is the kind of developmental tackle bet teams make late in Round 1.
28. Texans: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
Houston keeping the front seven loaded is easy to buy. McDonald is essentially a true nose tackle, but a very good one, and his run-defense profile is exactly what teams looking to get sturdier inside will love. At 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, with 31 solo tackles and 9 TFLs, he is not just a space-eater. Nick Caserio has gone 100% Power 5 in Rounds 1 and 2 (the only GM in the league with that mark), and McDonald is OSU.
29. Chiefs: Blake Miller, OL, Clemson
Kansas City already grabbed McCoy at 9 and circles back to the offensive line, which is the most predictable Veach habit.
30. Dolphins: Colton Hood, CB, Colorado
The Dolphins need help all over, and Hood could be an instant starter for that secondary.
31. Patriots: Akheem Mesidor, DL, Miami
New England still needs edge help. Mesidor is older than some of the other R1 DL bets, but Eliot Wolf has actually drafted the lowest rate of players under 22 (16%) among active GMs, so the age isn't a disqualifier.
32. Seahawks: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Seattle does not have one screaming need, which is a good place to be. That makes it easier to just take a good front-seven player at the end of the round. Parker gives them edge help after losing Boye Mafe.
I'll have at least one more mock prior to the NFL Draft, and Scott Smith, Ryan Noonan, and I will continue doing our weekly draft show called Move The Line, where we break down the latest draft news and how to bet on it. H/T PFF, Clev TA's GM tools, and Hayden Winks' player rankings for some of the stats.
