Now that the bulk of free agency is over and the dust is starting to settle, it’s time for an updated mock draft. Now more than ever, we can start keying in on what teams will be looking for in the draft. I’m also hearing some smoke about certain prospects and where they might get drafted.
This time, we’re going a full two rounds! So don’t worry Colts, Packers, and Jaguars fans: this one’s for you, too. It’s fun to do two-round mocks, as you can illustrate a strategy teams might employ and where they might pivot if the players they’re commonly connected to in the first round are off the board.
Check out my latest top 100 Big Board here. I also recently took a look around the whole league at the biggest remaining needs for each squad.
1 — Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
This pick is all but officially in. The Raiders are about to kick off the Mendoza/Kubiak era.
2 — New York Jets: Ohio State LB Arvell Reese
There are a lot of directions the Jets could go with this pick, but I’ll stick with Reese for now. He can play off-ball or on-ball, can rush the passer and drop in coverage. With ridiculous athletic testing and a high ceiling, it’s easy to see why teams would take him this high. The Jets would be a good fit for him, too, as he can do a lot in HC Aaron Glenn ’s scheme.
3 — Arizona Cardinals: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa
This is the hardest pick to predict. I have no idea what the Cardinals are going to do here. It feels like they’re setting up to take an offensive lineman, but this would be a bit of a reach. Ideally, I think Arizona would like to trade down, but that’s true of many teams in this draft and there probably won’t be many takers. So here, they take Mauigoa, letting him anchor the right tackle spot that’s been a troublesome area for the Cardinals over the past few seasons.
4 — Tennessee Titans: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
All the moves the Titans have made up to this point seem to be setting up this pick. It’s a fun one, for sure, but it’s hard to justify taking a running back at No. 4 when your defense has such glaring weaknesses. So Tennessee went about filling those holes in free agency, freeing them up to take Love. He’s the most dynamic offensive weapon in this draft and would help second-year QB Cam Ward a lot.
5 — New York Giants: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
The Giants did sign LB Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, but adding Styles next to him would give New York the most athletic duo at linebacker, maybe ever. Styles wowed at the Combine with his insane measurements and testing numbers, but his tape is even better. As a converted safety, he moves so well in space and just blankets people in coverage, as well as playing with a physical edge in run support. This spot feels like Styles’ floor at this point, and he could go as high as No. 2.
6 — Cleveland Browns: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
The Browns are another team open to trading down, but they need a receiver badly. Tate feels like the favorite to be the first receiver taken and he would immediately be Cleveland’s top option on the outside. A silky-smooth route runner with insane body control and toughness at the catch point, he’ll make life easier for whoever his quarterback is.
7 — Washington Commanders: Texas Tech ED David Bailey
Washington is probably hoping for one of Love or Styles to fall to them, but I think that’s unlikely at this point. Instead, they pivot to Bailey, maybe the best pure pass rusher in this class. His speed around the edge is game-breaking and he puts a ton of pressure on the opposing tackle to keep up with him. That opens up Bailey’s counters and other tricks — there are few players who can match his skill at getting quarterbacks on the ground. He’s a solid run defender, too.
8 — New Orleans Saints: Miami ED Rueben Bain Jr.
This would be such a Saints pick. Bain is my No. 1 overall player in this class, but he might fall a bit due to shorter arms. His combination of pass-rushing skill and exceptional run defense is unmatched, especially at his size. Miami would set him to one side of the line by himself and dare teams to run at him. The power he plays with is eye-popping and no one in college could match his strength/speed combination.
9 — Kansas City Chiefs: LSU CB Mansoor Delane
The Chiefs need to reload in the secondary, and Delane will likely be the first defensive back taken. He puts together a fantastic senior season at LSU after transferring from Virginia Tech, with exceptional short-area quickness to blanket receivers in man coverage. He’s even better in zone, however, with good awareness and a nose for the football.
10 — Cincinnati Bengals: Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane
The Bengals simply have to get better on the offensive line, and Ioane might be the best lineman in the entire class. He would immediately upgrade one of Cincinnati’s guard spots, playing with a blend of power and foot speed that lets him mirror on the interior while punishing defenders when he gets hands on them. The NFL loves this guy and he’s going to go higher than people think.
11 — Miami Dolphins: Ohio State S Caleb Downs
If Downs make it this far, the Dolphins would be sprinting the card in. He can do everything from playing in the box to covering receivers one-on-one in the slot. Miami needs a ton of help in the secondary and adding Downs would be a good start.
12 — Dallas Cowboys: Georgia LB CJ Allen
If Dallas wants to draft Allen, they might have to do it at No. 12, as there’s a good chance he wouldn’t last all the way to No. 20. I’m highly skeptical that Allen is worth a first-round pick at all, but the league loves this dude, and his intangibles and leadership abilities make him an appealing pick for a lot of teams.
13 — Los Angeles Rams (via ATL): Oregon S Dillon Thieneman
Yes, the Rams already invested a ton in their secondary this offseason. But they can do basically anything with this pick and Thieneman would be such a fun piece in Rams DC Chris Shula ’s unit. He’s a crazy athlete and would allow Los Angeles to play almost any kind of coverage they want.
14 — Baltimore Ravens: USC WR Makai Lemon
More help alongside Zay Flowers at receiver is one of the Ravens’ top priorities, and Lemon is sitting right there. There’s some overlap in the skillsets between the two, but both are good enough on their own to make it work. Lemon would be a yards-after-catch demon in this offense.
15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Miami ED Akheem Mesidor
Mesidor is an old prospect with a lot of experience, and that’s exactly what the Bucs need. He’s an electric pass rusher with an advanced bag of moves to pull from and is solid against the run. He’d give Tampa Bay a major boost in the pass rush department right away.
16 — New York Jets (via IND): Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
I think Cooper is going to creep higher and higher up boards, and this might even be a low projection for him when it’s all said and done. He’s a hyper-athletic beast who wins cleanly off the line and makes dynamic things happen after the catch.
17 — Detroit Lions: Utah OT Spencer Fano
This is a dream pick for the Lions. Fano’s lack of ideal arm length may push him down the board a bit, but he’s a plug-and-play tackle and a perfect fit for Detroit’s scheme. Worst-case, he can be an All-Pro at guard if he really can’t stick at tackle.
18 — Minnesota Vikings: Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
I think Vikings DC Brian Flores would love McNeil-Warren. He’s an aggressive, downhill thumper at safety who has a lot of ball production in coverage. Defensive line is also a potential for Minnesota with this pick, but the value just wasn’t there.
19 — Carolina Panthers: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling
The Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal to play left tackle, but the position is still a question mark long-term with Ikem Ekwonu ’s health in question. This is an ideal landing spot for Freeling, who’s been a seismic riser since the end of the season with his incredible tools. However, he isn’t ready to start immediately in the NFL.
20 — Dallas Cowboys (via GBP): Auburn ED Keldric Faulk
Faulk would infuse the Cowboys’ defensive line with a lot of size and power on the edge. He can play multiple positions in their 3-4 front and is a lockdown run defender. Pass rush remains a work in progress for him, but all the tools are there.
21 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion
Even after trading for Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts, the Steelers still need more at receiver. Concepcion is an advanced route runner and downfield playmaker who can do a ton of damage from the slot. He’d give Pittsburgh a rush of speed on offense they desperately need.
22 — Los Angeles Chargers: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
I don’t have a great read on where McCoy’s range is right now. But the Chargers would be a great landing spot for him. He’s an elite man-cover cornerback who can also thrive in zone schemes and provides a lot of ball production.
23 — Philadelphia Eagles: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
The Eagles managed to re-sign TE Dallas Goedert after pushing back the void date on his contract twice. Still, Sadiq would be a really fun addition to this offense. He’s an elite athlete who’s putting in the work to improve as a blocker and route runner.
24 — Cleveland Browns (via JAX): Alabama QB Ty Simpson
The Browns have a lot of unappealing options at quarterback right now, and they’ve sniffed around bringing in a new passer. Simpson is probably going to end up a first-round pick due to positional demand, and Cleveland is as likely a landing spot as any.
25 — Chicago Bears: Clemson ED T.J. Parker
Taking Parker here would do two things for the Bears: add to their defensive line depth while also giving them a boost in run defense. That’s the biggest area of concern for Chicago right now and Parker is a heavy-handed end who is a menace against the run. He’s a refined pass rusher, too, even if he doesn’t have as much juice as others.
26 — Buffalo Bills: Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
Even though the Bills just took a cornerback in the first round last year, they could still stand to add more to their secondary. Terrell is a slot demon who plays a feisty, physical, aggressive brand of football — and he’s a turnover machine.
27 — San Francisco 49ers: Georgia DT Christen Miller
It’s hard to guess who will be the first defensive tackle taken in this class, but Miller is easily my favorite. He’s a lockdown run defender who can play nose tackle or 3-tech, and he’s got more pass rush ability than he gets credit for.
28 — Houston Texans: Oregon G Emmanuel Pregnon
The Texans simply have to continue rebuilding their offensive line. Pregnon is a very experienced player who’s worked in a variety of schemes, and he’d slot in as an immediate starter in Houston.
29 — Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR): Washington WR Denzel Boston
Thanks to the Trent McDuffie trade, the Chiefs have an extra first-round pick to work with. Boston would give them an entirely different archetype at receiver: a tall, true X-receiver who’s an advanced route runner and dominates the middle of the field.
30 — Denver Broncos: Florida DT Caleb Banks
I can see the Broncos being really high on Banks. He’s an imposing physical presence with some insane reps on his tape displaying quickness that shouldn’t be possible at his size. While he needs to get more consistent, with proper development, his ceiling is high.
31 — New England Patriots: Utah OT Caleb Lomu
Patriots RT Morgan Moses is getting up there, and New England needs a succession plan at tackle. Lomu is an elite college pass protector who’s still figuring things out in the run game. He wouldn’t be asked to start right away and could take some time to add strength.
32 — Seattle Seahawks: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor
Proctor played tackle for the Crimson Tide but he’d be a guard in Seattle. He’s a mauler, with a massive physical presence and very quick feet for his size. Though he can sometimes be outflanked by speedier edge rushers, that concern would be eliminated by a move to the inside.