The NFL Draft is creeping closer. This is my penultimate first-round 2026 NFL mock draft. The final one will drop the week of the draft.
Among the curiosities of mock draft 4.0:
- Jeremiyah Love lands in an unexpected spot.
- An offensive lineman commonly being mocked as a top-five pick falls out of the top 20.
- Ty Simpson finds a home in the first round.
And if you’re interested in checking out my previous mocks, here are mock draft 1.0, mock draft 2.0 and mock draft 3.0.
Let’s dig in.
2026 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: First-Round Picks & Predictions
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (QB – Indiana)
This is the only certain pick of the draft. No chance the Raiders go in any other direction.
2. New York Jets: David Bailey (EDGE – Texas A&M)
It’s possible the Jets take Arvell Reese here. But if the goal is to get an impact pass rusher, Bailey is the safer choice.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Arvell Reese (EDGE – Ohio State)
It’s astonishing how often Francis Mauignoa has been mocked to the Cardinals. An offensive lineman who might not be able to play left tackle going No. 3? Really? The Cardinals ranked 28th in sack rate and 29th in pressure rate last season. They can’t pass up a chance to get a high-ceiling pass rusher.
4. Tennessee Titans: Sonny Styles (LB – Ohio State)
I can’t wrap my head around the idea of the Titans taking RB Jeremiyah Love here rather than giving new head coach Robert Saleh an impact defender. Saleh had Fred Warner at inside linebacker for most of his tenure as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. Why not give Saleh a more athletic version of Warner?
5. New York Giants: Caleb Downs (S – Ohio State)
After coaching Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore, will new Giants head coach John Harbaugh want to live without a difference-making safety? The Giants need a defensive leader and get one in Downs.
6. Cleveland Browns: Carnell Tate (WR – Ohio State)
It stands to reason that the Browns will take a receiver and an offensive lineman with their two first-round draft picks. They address the WR position first, grabbing Tate, an in-state prospect from Ohio State who’s a big-time downfield playmaker.
7. Washington Commanders: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE – Miami (FL))
The Commanders added EDGE defenders Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but the powerful Bain can be a three-down defensive end who moves inside on passing downs.
8. New Orleans Saints: Mansoor Delane (CB – LSU)
The Saints grab a quality cover man from their own backyard. Delane, the safest cornerback in the draft, joins Kool-Aid McKinstry to give New Orleans a high-quality CB duo.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Jermod McCoy (CB – Tennessee)
Cornerback has become a major need for the Chiefs now that Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are gone. McCoy was outstanding in 2024 but didn’t play last season after tearing his ACL in January 2025. After not testing at the combine, McCoy assuaged concerns by clocking a 4.38 and vertical-jumping 38 inches at the Tennessee pro day.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Jeremiyah Love (RB – Notre Dame)
Surprise! Cincinnati would prefer to get a defensive player here, but with the top seven defenders already gone, the Bengals pivot and select Love, considered by some evaluators to be the most talented player in the draft. The defense can wait until Day 2. The Bengals add rocket fuel to what is already one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.
11. Miami Dolphins: Kadyn Proctor (OL – Alabama)
There’s buzz that Proctor might go much earlier than most draftniks are expecting. It’s easy to understand why. Proctor is 6-7, 366 pounds, and he’s athletic enough that Alabama gave him some goal-line carries last year. Ideally he holds down a tackle position in Miami for the next 10 years. But if Proctor doesn’t work out at tackle, he can be an above-average guard.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Keldric Faulk (EDGE – Auburn)
Faulk is big (6-6, 276) and athletic, and he draws raves for his character. The production didn’t always match the tools at Auburn, but the Cowboys might be willing to bet on Faulk’s immense potential.
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta): Makai Lemon (WR – USC)
With Puka Nacua going through rehab and Davante Adams 33-years-old, the Rams could use another good pass catcher. Lemon is a ferocious competitor who happens to be a Los Angeles native.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane (OG – Penn State)
This will be an easy pick for the Ravens to make if Ioane is still available at No. 14. Baltimore needs to refurbish the interior of its offensive line, and Ioane might be the best offensive lineman in the draft.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyon Sadiq (TE – Oregon)
The Buccaneers could certainly go with a defensive player here, but the TE position needs upgrading, too, and Sadiq’s freaky athleticism is too tempting to bypass. Sadiq ran a 4.39 and had a 43 1/2 -inch vertical jump at the combine, and he’s a high-effort blocker.
16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis): Ty Simpson (QB – Alabama)
I think there are four possible draft fates for Simpson:
- The Jets take him at No. 16.
- The Seahawks, who own just four draft picks at the moment, trade down to a team that selects Simpson at No. 32.
- The Cardinals draft him early in the second round at No. 34 overall.
- Simpson slides deeper into the second round.
I didn’t place Simpson in the first round in any of my first three mocks – partly because it’s hard to find a fit for him, partly because I’m not convinced he’s a first-rounder. But with four of the first 44 picks in the draft, the Jets can take a chance on a quarterback who looked like a surefire first-round pick for the first 10 games of his 2025 season.
17. Detroit Lions: Spencer Fano (OT – Utah)
It seems inevitable that the Lions will use their first-round pick to bolster their offensive line. There are concerns about Fano’s suboptimal arm length, but if he doesn’t work out as a tackle, he could be an outstanding guard.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman (S – Oregon)
Seemingly every mock draft has Thieneman going to the Vikings. I’d love to be an iconoclast with this pick, but it just makes too much sense. Thieneman is a freak athlete whom Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores can deploy as a deep safety, box safety, or slot corner.
19. Carolina Panthers: Akheem Mesidor (EDGE – Miami (FL))
The Panthers could give QB Bryce Young another weapon here, but they need to add juice to a pass rush that ranked 31st in pressure rate last year. Mesidor is an older prospect at age 25, but he’s a high-floor EDGE with a motor that runs hot.
20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S – Toledo)
After going with EDGE Keldric Faulk at No. 12, Dallas addresses the back end of its defense with McNeil-Warren, who makes plays all over the field, hits like a freight train, and has a knack for forcing turnovers.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Francis Mauigoa (OT – Miami (FL))
The Steelers need help at tackle. With Mauignoa unexpectedly available this late, he’s an easy choice.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: T.J. Parker (EDGE – Clemson)
Khalil Mack is 35 and had 5.5 sacks in 12 games last season. The Chargers could use another pass rusher to help out Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu. The powerful Parker wasn’t as good in 2025 as he was as a sophomore in 2024, but he has a high ceiling.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Jordyn Tyson (WR – Arizona State)
Tyson could slide out of the top 20 if potential suitors are scared by his checkered medical history – and we know Eagles GM Howie Roseman loves a good first-round value. Getting Tyson would also allow the Eagles to trade A.J. Brown.
24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville): Monroe Freeling (OT – Georgia)
After getting Carnell Tate at No. 6, the Browns go to work on their offensive line and grab Freeling, a big, athletic tackle prospect who could turn into a blue-chip asset with some work on his technique.
25. Chicago Bears: Zion Young (EDGE – Missouri)
The Bears look nearly set on offense, but they have multiple needs on defense. One of those needs is an EDGE, and Young is a high-energy warrior who plays the run well and has pass-rushing upside.
26. Buffalo Bills: Kayden McDonald (DT – Ohio State)
The Bills have to get better against the run if they’re going to make it back to the Super Bowl, and the 326-pound McDonald is an immovable object in the middle.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Lomu (OT – Utah)
Left tackle Trent Williams turns 38 this summer, so the 49ers are in the market for his heir. Although he doesn’t have anything close to the power that Williams has, Lomu is a rangy, nimble tackle who defeats pass rushers with quickness and guile.
28. Houston Texans: Max Iheanachor (OT – Arizona State)
The Texans desperately need offensive line help. Iheanachor is a late-comer to football with ideal size (6-6, 321), surprising athleticism and immense upside.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from L.A. Rams): Denzel Boston (WR – Washington)
Omar Cooper Jr. and KC Concepcion are still on the board, but the Chiefs could use a receiver like Boston, a 6-3 1/2 , 212-pound split end who moves well for his size, wins contested balls, and can be a red-zone weapon for Patrick Mahomes.
30. Miami Dolphins (from Denver Broncos): Avieon Terrell (CB – Clemson)
After trading Jaylen Waddle to Denver, the Dolphins have to get new QB Malik Willis some pass-catching help. The tough-as-nails Cooper has inside-outside versatility and is terrific after the catch.
31. New England Patriots: Blake Miller (OT – Clemson)
The Patriots might go with a pass rusher here, but with a lot of the top EDGE defenders off the board, New England addresses another area of need, its offensive line. Unlike last year’s first-round pick, left tackle Will Campbell, the 6-foot-7 Miller has long arms. He was also a team captain for Clemson and is known for his toughness.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Chris Johnson (CB – San Diego State)
Expect the pick-poor Seahawks to trade down here to gather some additional selections. But if they keep the pick, Johnson would be a great fit. He thrives in zone coverage and has boosted his stock by acing the pre-draft process.
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