- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,198,874
- Reaction score
- 59
We are now just 4 days away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and there have already been some fireworks. Saturday night, the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off one of their biggest and most unlikely trades ever. They traded the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants for DE Dexter Lawrence. This is a team that is known for being “frugal”. Pulling this deal off is meant to improve the team’s defense, and to send a message to the fans…and QB Joe Burrow, that it is a new day in Cincy.
After losing Trey Hendrickson to the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals have completely revamped their defense. Aside from Lawrence, the team has added four defensive free agents. They have acquired fellow DE/DT Jonathan Allen, Edge Boye Mafe, and two safeties, Bryan Cook and Kyle Duggar.
For the Giants, the trade sheds some salary and gives them two top 10 picks. This deal reshapes the draft. The Bengals now have no first-round pick, and the Giants have those two in the top 10.
With that in mind, here is a new 2026 mock draft.
MORE: 2026 NFL mock draft board has never been this wild
Fernando Mendoza participates in Indiana University’s Pro Day.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana. Their doesen’t seem to be a scenario that Mendoza goes anywhere but Las Vegas.
2. New York Jets: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech. The Jets need help everywhere. With the second pick of the draft, they land on DE Bailey. There were many options here for them. The best move may have been to trade down to stockpile more picks, as they have been doing. This is a complete teardown situation.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio St. The Cardinals need help on both sides of the ball, but even with the release of Kyler Murray, they need more help on the defensive side of the ball. They opt for Styles. They just as easily could take fellow Ohio St LB Arvell Reese.
4. Tennessee Titans: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio St. Reese ends up going here, with the Titans. The Titans and Cardinals each need an impact game-wrecker, and Reese and Styles should each go #3 and #4, in some order.
5. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio St. Many feel that Downs is the best overall athlete in the draft. His position, more than anything, is affecting his draft position. Adding the No. 10 pick in the trade with the Bengals on Saturday allows the Giants to snag a potential No. 1 talent here at No. 5, even at a non-premier position, like LT, WR, CB, or QB.
MORE: 3 fanbases who should temper expectations in the 2026 NFL Draft
6. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Love, RB, Notre Dame. This team is dying for a game-changing offensive piece. They think they’ve found one in Love.
7. Washington Commanders: Francis Maugoa, OT, Miami. The Commanders are ecstatic that they can snag the top-rated offensive lineman in this year’s draft to protect Jayden Daniels.
8. New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio St. The Saints are ecstatic that they can snag the top-rated WR in this year’s draft.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon. Most mocks have Sadiq going lower than ninth, in the 15-20 range. This feels like such a no-brainer for the Chiefs that I can’t see them passing on Sadiq. They have an aging TE well into the back nine of his career, in Travis Kelce. Sadiq is by far the top-rated TE in this year’s draft.
10. New York Giants: TRADE DOWN TO #11 WITH DOLPHINS. Ruben Bain DE Miami. Moving up one spot will cost the Dolphins their fourth-round pick, but they get their man, who’s been in their backyard with the Hurricanes. Bain is the first piece of their rebuilding process.
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California wideout Makai Lemon (WO29) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
11. Miami Dolphins: TRADE UP TO #10 WITH GIANTS, Spencer Fano, OT, Utah. The Giants turned Dexter Lawrence into an extra fourth-round pick by trading down one spot with the Dolphins. With this pick, they grab O-lineman Fano from Utah. Their two picks will help them greatly on both sides of the ball.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU. Jerry Jones is psyched that Delane is available at no.12. He is a lightning-fast and fantastic cover CB. A good comp for him is Stefon Gilmore, which is rarified air.
13. Los Angeles Rams: Makai Lemon, WR, USC. For a team that relies so heavily on the passing game, they have new questions about Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Lemon has decent size and speed, with fantastic hands and route-running skills.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington. The Lamar Jackson era is closing fast, and the Ravens need some new blood to surround him with on offense. The team has brought in defensive-minded HC Jesse Minter. He addressed the defense by getting Trey Hendrickson, but with their first pick, they picked Boston, who has a great catch radius and excels in catching 50-50 balls.
15, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jordan Tyson, WR, Arizona St. The Buccaneers need to replace Mike Evans, and Tyson ends the run on WRs. He is the prototypical WR at 6’2 and 200lbs who possesses that rare, size and speed combination. Tyson is a great landing spot, with Baker Mayfield getting him the ball.
MORE: 2026 NFL Draft top 10 tight ends ranked
16. Dallas Cowboys (TRADE WITH NEW YORK JETS): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson. The Cowboys target this monster and move up four spots to get him. Woods is 6’3 and 320lbs, and can bench press 450lbs. He’ll add raw athleticism to this Cowboys defense.
17. Detroit Lions: Kayden Proctor, OT, Alabama. The Lions need to beef up the middle of their O-line, and Proctor fits the bill. He is a mountain of a man at 6’7 and 375lbs. He will help in the passing and rushing game.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Zion Young, DE, Missouri. At 6’5 and 260lbs he has both quickness and explosiveness. In a division with Jordan Love, Lared Goff, and Caleb Williams, Young will create constant havoc and chaos.
19. Carolina Panthers: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas AM. Concepcion is my newest player in this draft, and I hope the best for him. This week, he spoke of his lifelong troubles regarding bullying due to his stuttering, and how he was able to overcome it. He showed confidence and class. I wish he were in a better offensive system, with a better QB than Bryce Young to get him the ball…but this kid is a winner.
20. New York Jets (TRADE WITH Dallas Cowboys): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama. This is a solid move for the Jets. They trade down four spots and stockpile later picks…and get the guy they covet and desperately need. They could have taken a chance to see if he’d be available in the second round, but they needed a QB, and they got one…while gaining extra picks.
Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Drew Shelton, OT, Penn St. The Steelers QB situation is a disaster, but whoever ends up being under center will need to be protected. They take Shelton here.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Vega Loane, G, Penn St. The Chargers desperately need to protect Justin Herbert and help their running game. Loane will do both.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama. The chances that AJ Brown will be an Eagle by opening night is slim and none. There was already a mini-run at the WR position, but Bernard is a solid choice here at no.23.
24. Cleveland Browns: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia. Freeling seems destined to be a Brown, with some mocks having him going to the Browns with their sixth pick. With other potential O-lineman available here, but only Love available at no.6, they secure Love early and hope for Freeling. Their prayers were answered as they get the 6’7 lineman.
25. Chicago Bears: TJ Parker, DE, Clemson. The team has stabilized on offense, but still needs depth on offense. They take the DE here at no.25. Parker had 18 solo tackles with 10 for losses…and he had five sacks. At 6’4 and 260lbs he is a bullet coming off the edge.
26. Buffalo Bills: Keldrick Faulk, DE, Auburn. The DE is impressive. He’s taller and bigger than Parker, although he is more of a project. He’s 6’6 and 285lbs. Due to some regression from 2024, he has fallen to no.26…he had been a potential top-10 pick.
MORE: Top 10 running backs in the 2026 NFL Draft
27. San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida. With the run on WRs, the 49ers were forced to pivot. The cost to move up became too pricy, so the Niners settle on DT Banks, who’ll make a fine consolation prize.
28. Houston Texans: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah. The Texans desperately need to protect QB CJ Stroud. After a record-breaking rookie season their has been some regression for Stroud over the last couple of seasons. Lomu is 6’6 and 315lbs and will be a wall for Stroud.
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Jermond McCoy, CB, Tennessee. With Sadiq taken at no.9, and McCoy taken here at no.29, this is a fantastic first round for the Chiefs, and the start of their mini-rebuild.
30. Miami Dolphins: TRADE DOWN SIX SPOTS TO #36 WITH RAIDERS. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana. The Dolphins need to stockpile picks, and they find a partner with the Raiders. They trade out of the first round, with the Raiders moving up six spots to snag the WR they covet, and they didn’t want to take the chance that these teams in between would grab him. Miami is banking on their future with Mondoza at no.1. They want to give him a familiar face and target, with this pick, grabbing Indiana’s WR, Cooper.
31. New England Patriots: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee. The Patriots look to be heading towards a clash with CB Christian Gonzalez. Top Defensive players are now routinely going for $40M. The Pats don’t like to pay at the top of the market, and they never do it sooner than they need to. To leverage Gonzalez, they take Hood.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon. When you are the defending Super Bowl Champs, you’re often trading for depth. Thieneman is projected to go as high as 12th… so, under the category of “taking the best player available,” the Seahawks grab Thieneman.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
Continue reading...
After losing Trey Hendrickson to the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals have completely revamped their defense. Aside from Lawrence, the team has added four defensive free agents. They have acquired fellow DE/DT Jonathan Allen, Edge Boye Mafe, and two safeties, Bryan Cook and Kyle Duggar.
For the Giants, the trade sheds some salary and gives them two top 10 picks. This deal reshapes the draft. The Bengals now have no first-round pick, and the Giants have those two in the top 10.
With that in mind, here is a new 2026 mock draft.
MORE: 2026 NFL mock draft board has never been this wild
Top 10
You must be registered for see images attach
Fernando Mendoza participates in Indiana University’s Pro Day.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana. Their doesen’t seem to be a scenario that Mendoza goes anywhere but Las Vegas.
2. New York Jets: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech. The Jets need help everywhere. With the second pick of the draft, they land on DE Bailey. There were many options here for them. The best move may have been to trade down to stockpile more picks, as they have been doing. This is a complete teardown situation.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio St. The Cardinals need help on both sides of the ball, but even with the release of Kyler Murray, they need more help on the defensive side of the ball. They opt for Styles. They just as easily could take fellow Ohio St LB Arvell Reese.
4. Tennessee Titans: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio St. Reese ends up going here, with the Titans. The Titans and Cardinals each need an impact game-wrecker, and Reese and Styles should each go #3 and #4, in some order.
5. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio St. Many feel that Downs is the best overall athlete in the draft. His position, more than anything, is affecting his draft position. Adding the No. 10 pick in the trade with the Bengals on Saturday allows the Giants to snag a potential No. 1 talent here at No. 5, even at a non-premier position, like LT, WR, CB, or QB.
MORE: 3 fanbases who should temper expectations in the 2026 NFL Draft
6. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Love, RB, Notre Dame. This team is dying for a game-changing offensive piece. They think they’ve found one in Love.
7. Washington Commanders: Francis Maugoa, OT, Miami. The Commanders are ecstatic that they can snag the top-rated offensive lineman in this year’s draft to protect Jayden Daniels.
8. New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio St. The Saints are ecstatic that they can snag the top-rated WR in this year’s draft.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon. Most mocks have Sadiq going lower than ninth, in the 15-20 range. This feels like such a no-brainer for the Chiefs that I can’t see them passing on Sadiq. They have an aging TE well into the back nine of his career, in Travis Kelce. Sadiq is by far the top-rated TE in this year’s draft.
10. New York Giants: TRADE DOWN TO #11 WITH DOLPHINS. Ruben Bain DE Miami. Moving up one spot will cost the Dolphins their fourth-round pick, but they get their man, who’s been in their backyard with the Hurricanes. Bain is the first piece of their rebuilding process.
11 – 20 Overall
You must be registered for see images attach
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California wideout Makai Lemon (WO29) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
11. Miami Dolphins: TRADE UP TO #10 WITH GIANTS, Spencer Fano, OT, Utah. The Giants turned Dexter Lawrence into an extra fourth-round pick by trading down one spot with the Dolphins. With this pick, they grab O-lineman Fano from Utah. Their two picks will help them greatly on both sides of the ball.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU. Jerry Jones is psyched that Delane is available at no.12. He is a lightning-fast and fantastic cover CB. A good comp for him is Stefon Gilmore, which is rarified air.
13. Los Angeles Rams: Makai Lemon, WR, USC. For a team that relies so heavily on the passing game, they have new questions about Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Lemon has decent size and speed, with fantastic hands and route-running skills.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington. The Lamar Jackson era is closing fast, and the Ravens need some new blood to surround him with on offense. The team has brought in defensive-minded HC Jesse Minter. He addressed the defense by getting Trey Hendrickson, but with their first pick, they picked Boston, who has a great catch radius and excels in catching 50-50 balls.
15, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jordan Tyson, WR, Arizona St. The Buccaneers need to replace Mike Evans, and Tyson ends the run on WRs. He is the prototypical WR at 6’2 and 200lbs who possesses that rare, size and speed combination. Tyson is a great landing spot, with Baker Mayfield getting him the ball.
MORE: 2026 NFL Draft top 10 tight ends ranked
16. Dallas Cowboys (TRADE WITH NEW YORK JETS): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson. The Cowboys target this monster and move up four spots to get him. Woods is 6’3 and 320lbs, and can bench press 450lbs. He’ll add raw athleticism to this Cowboys defense.
17. Detroit Lions: Kayden Proctor, OT, Alabama. The Lions need to beef up the middle of their O-line, and Proctor fits the bill. He is a mountain of a man at 6’7 and 375lbs. He will help in the passing and rushing game.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Zion Young, DE, Missouri. At 6’5 and 260lbs he has both quickness and explosiveness. In a division with Jordan Love, Lared Goff, and Caleb Williams, Young will create constant havoc and chaos.
19. Carolina Panthers: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas AM. Concepcion is my newest player in this draft, and I hope the best for him. This week, he spoke of his lifelong troubles regarding bullying due to his stuttering, and how he was able to overcome it. He showed confidence and class. I wish he were in a better offensive system, with a better QB than Bryce Young to get him the ball…but this kid is a winner.
20. New York Jets (TRADE WITH Dallas Cowboys): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama. This is a solid move for the Jets. They trade down four spots and stockpile later picks…and get the guy they covet and desperately need. They could have taken a chance to see if he’d be available in the second round, but they needed a QB, and they got one…while gaining extra picks.
21-32 Overall
You must be registered for see images attach
Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Drew Shelton, OT, Penn St. The Steelers QB situation is a disaster, but whoever ends up being under center will need to be protected. They take Shelton here.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Vega Loane, G, Penn St. The Chargers desperately need to protect Justin Herbert and help their running game. Loane will do both.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama. The chances that AJ Brown will be an Eagle by opening night is slim and none. There was already a mini-run at the WR position, but Bernard is a solid choice here at no.23.
24. Cleveland Browns: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia. Freeling seems destined to be a Brown, with some mocks having him going to the Browns with their sixth pick. With other potential O-lineman available here, but only Love available at no.6, they secure Love early and hope for Freeling. Their prayers were answered as they get the 6’7 lineman.
25. Chicago Bears: TJ Parker, DE, Clemson. The team has stabilized on offense, but still needs depth on offense. They take the DE here at no.25. Parker had 18 solo tackles with 10 for losses…and he had five sacks. At 6’4 and 260lbs he is a bullet coming off the edge.
26. Buffalo Bills: Keldrick Faulk, DE, Auburn. The DE is impressive. He’s taller and bigger than Parker, although he is more of a project. He’s 6’6 and 285lbs. Due to some regression from 2024, he has fallen to no.26…he had been a potential top-10 pick.
MORE: Top 10 running backs in the 2026 NFL Draft
27. San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida. With the run on WRs, the 49ers were forced to pivot. The cost to move up became too pricy, so the Niners settle on DT Banks, who’ll make a fine consolation prize.
28. Houston Texans: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah. The Texans desperately need to protect QB CJ Stroud. After a record-breaking rookie season their has been some regression for Stroud over the last couple of seasons. Lomu is 6’6 and 315lbs and will be a wall for Stroud.
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Jermond McCoy, CB, Tennessee. With Sadiq taken at no.9, and McCoy taken here at no.29, this is a fantastic first round for the Chiefs, and the start of their mini-rebuild.
30. Miami Dolphins: TRADE DOWN SIX SPOTS TO #36 WITH RAIDERS. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana. The Dolphins need to stockpile picks, and they find a partner with the Raiders. They trade out of the first round, with the Raiders moving up six spots to snag the WR they covet, and they didn’t want to take the chance that these teams in between would grab him. Miami is banking on their future with Mondoza at no.1. They want to give him a familiar face and target, with this pick, grabbing Indiana’s WR, Cooper.
31. New England Patriots: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee. The Patriots look to be heading towards a clash with CB Christian Gonzalez. Top Defensive players are now routinely going for $40M. The Pats don’t like to pay at the top of the market, and they never do it sooner than they need to. To leverage Gonzalez, they take Hood.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon. When you are the defending Super Bowl Champs, you’re often trading for depth. Thieneman is projected to go as high as 12th… so, under the category of “taking the best player available,” the Seahawks grab Thieneman.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
Continue reading...
