With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it’s officially Draft Season for all 32 teams in the NFL.
That also means that all of the early Mock Drafts from your favorite draft analysts are all out in the open for everyone to see.
So – who are the players most commonly linked to your favorite team? Is there a position that is showing up time after time? Maybe a sleeper option you need to know?
To answer those questions (and others), I’ve canvased 13 January mock drafts from some of the most notable analysts in the biz (including yours truly). Hopefully this helps give you an early bead on how the first round is viewed for April’s draft, which is now less than 75 days away (yikes).
1 – Las Vegas Raiders – QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
Pick Results:
12 – QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
1 – QB Dante Moore (Oregon)
The only analyst to NOT mock Mendoza in this spot was the Ringer’s Todd McShay. In case you missed it, Oregon’s Dante Moore has decided to go back to school, so he is no longer in this class. I would imagine that Mendoza will continue to remain the runaway favorite for this spot throughout the spring.
2 – NY Jets – EDGE/LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
Pick Results:
7 – EDGE/LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
4 – QB Dante Moore (Oregon)
1 – S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
1 – QB Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
Once Moore decided to return to Oregon, most mock drafts had Ohio State’s Arvell Reese in this spot. I find it hard to believe that any team would select Reese as a pure off-ball linebacker at No. 2 overall, but most that I’ve talked to in the NFL have projected him as a future pass rusher akin to the transition Micah Parsons made. I think that’s a pretty big gamble to take this high in the draft, but that’s where most believe we are heading at this moment.
3 – Arizona – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
Pick Results:
5 – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
3 – T Francis Maugioa (Miami)
2 – EDGE/LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
2 – RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
1 – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
This is where the variety really begins, but again this pick has started to gain more clarity since the Moore decision. A majority of analysts view the Cardinals as the team going with the first offensive tackle on the board. Admittedly, both Fano and Mauigoa are more in the ‘rock solid starter’ than ‘perennial Pro Bowl talent’ tier of prospect, but that does not diminish the overall value of the position. It’s hard to find capable starters at that spot, and both Fano and Mauigoa project very well to the league. Fano began his career at left tackle with the Utes before moving over to the right side to make room for another player in this class (Caleb Lomu, who the staff felt NEEDED to play at that spot). Mauigoa has been a right tackle all three years with the Canes. Regardless, the Cardinals are set on the blind side with Paris Johnson, so finding him a running mate on the opposite end would be a prudent move. I have nearly identical grades on both players at this stage of the process and am excited to see both guys up close in a couple of weeks in Indianapolis.
I was one of the two analysts pegging Reese to the Cardinals a couple of weeks ago, but I feel less convicted about that selection now than I did then with the dismissal of Jonathan Gannon. Who the new defensive coordinator is will greatly determine how I feel about Reese’s potential fit in the desert.
4 – Tennessee – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
Pick Results:
4 – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
3 – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
3 – EDGE/LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
2 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
I’ll be honest, I am a bit surprised that only 5-of-13 analysts had the Titans going offense in support of QB Cam Ward, with Tate being the only receiver mentioned. I do think that the wide receivers are going higher in these mock drafts than their talent level would normally dictate, but – again – that’s the nature of this class in this part of the draft. Tate would provide Ward with a really reliable possession threat who is capable of impacting each level of the field.
5 – NY Giants – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
Pick Results:
5 – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
2 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
1 – WR Makai Lemon (USC)
1 – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
1 – EDGE/LB Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
1 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
1 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
Tate is the heavy favorite here, but in this exercise he goes off the board to Tennessee in the previous selection (so the biggest takeaway here should be that 9-of-13 analysts have Tate going in the Top 5 picks). After that? It’s anyone’s guess. Delane was one of the best press corners in the country last year and would be a good fit for new New York DC Dennard Wilson. That said, I really think the Giants need to get this offensive line patched up. If Mauigoa or Fano is on the board, I think it makes sense as a foundation starter for coach John Harbaugh.
6 – Cleveland – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
Pick Results:
5 – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
3 – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
1 – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
1 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
1 – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
1 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – T Trevor Goosby (Texas)
All but three of the analysts gave the Browns an offensive tackle (note: Trevor Goosby returned to Texas and is not in this draft). There is going to be a ton of turnover with the Browns at this position for a GM that believes in building across the line, so this one seems like a no-brainer. Whether it’s Mauigoa or Fano, it’s tough to go wrong. I was surprised to see Lomu’s name this high, particularly without seeing Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
7 – Washington – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
Pick Results:
6 – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
3 – EDGE Rueben Bain JR (Miami)
1 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
1 – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
The Commanders were a team that everyone was toasting 12 months ago but, instead, they are being roasted this spring. This is one of the oldest rosters in the league, they have a shortage of picks, and have pretty big needs at EDGE, WR and CB, some of the pillar positions in football. When I did my first mock draft after the season, I had a hard time deciding between Bailey and Bain, so it’s not surprising to see them at the top of this list. The value is right for the Commanders to go pass rush with this pick.
8 – New Orleans – RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
Pick Results:
6 – RB Jeremyah Love (Notre Dame)
3 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
1 – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
1 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
The Saints are traditionally a team that trends towards the line of scrimmage, but most analysts think they add some flare to their team with some skill talent in the Top 10. With the success that Kellen Moore has had in the past with blue chip talents like Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott, it makes sense, and that is where the majority is pointed at this stage of the process. I do wonder if they go with a rusher to help give their defense some more juice, however.
9 – Kansas City – EDGE Rueben Bain JR (Miami)
Pick Results:
5 – EDGE Rueben Bain JR (Miami)
2 – RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
2 – S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
2 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
1 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
The Bain / KC selection has certainly picked up steam over the last couple of weeks, with three of the NFL Media mocks pushing him well ahead of the pack. He is certainly their kind of player and would make plenty of sense. I do wonder if they try to add juice to their offense with some kind of playmaker to help them against man coverage, but I can’t argue with the Bain selection here.
10 – Cincinnati – S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
Pick Results:
7 – S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
2 – EDGE Rueben Bain JR (Miami)
1 – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
1 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
1 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – EDGE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
Downs is certainly the runaway favorite in this spot at this point, and 12-of-13 analysts have the Bengals going with a defensive player. I would be shocked if that’s not the direction we see them go. If one of the top shelf edge rushers were to somehow fall to them, I think he would be hard to pass up. Downs is a culture setter, though, and keeping him in the state of Ohio would make sense.
11 – Miami – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
Pick Results:
3 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
2 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
2 – EDGE Rueben Bain JR (Miami)
2 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
1 – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
1 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
1 – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
This one is ALL over the board. Five different positions and eight different players spread amongst 13 analysts. Personally, I’d be surprised if their new GM would go with a pass catcher with his first selection after growing up with the Green Bay Packers. My gut tells me this would be a lineman of some kind. I’ll be interested to see how this starts to shift once we get through the Combine and information starts to flow a bit more freely.
12 – Dallas – LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
Pick Results:
9 – LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
2 – S Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
2 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)
I would say that, in general, I would beware of the picks outside of the Top 5 that start to feel ‘consensus’ this time of year. It’s not all the time, but often those team-player pairings in mock drafts start to become the subject of groupthink, where everyone sees the fit and it’s just clean and tidy to put this player into this slot. Now, I was one of the analysts that put Styles to Dallas – I think it makes a lot of sense and it fits for them, but I would not take it as a foregone conclusion! If Downs fell here, I actually think he’d be the pick. Obviously he’s off the board in this exercise.
I love Styles. He’s a bit lower on my board just due to positional value, but he’s about as good as it gets when it comes to a linebacker prospect coming out of college. He’s big, athletic, physical, a good tackler and extremely versatile. The strides he made this year in the mental part of the game were huge for his projection. Over the summer I wrote that ‘he is what many wanted Isaiah Simmons to be’, and Simmons went in the Top 10.
13 – LA Rams (from ATL) – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
Pick Results:
3 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
2 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
2 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
2 – WR Makai Lemon (USC)
2 – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
1 – CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)
1 – LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
This is somewhat of a luxury pick for the Rams, as this is the selection they acquired from the Falcons during the James Pearce JR trade last spring. Just because it’s a luxury, however, does not mean that Les Snead and Sean McVay will take it for granted. Everyone that watched the Rams knew that the secondary was the weak link of that roster, so 6-of-13 analysts selecting a cornerback in this spot makes some sense … but I think they go the other way. The Rams are a forward-thinking organization. This offense is one of the oldest in the league. They need to start replenishing that side of the ball, so whether it’s an offensive lineman, wide receiver or a quarterback, that’s where I think they’re leaning in the first round with at least one, if not both, of their picks.
14 – Baltimore – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
Pick Results:
4 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
2 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
1 – EDGE Rueben Bain JR (Miami)
1 – EDGE TJ Parker (Clemson)
1 – WR Makai Lemon (USC)
1 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
1 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – T Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
1 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
More than half of the analysts polled here see the Ravens beefing up the offensive line with this pick, and Ioane has picked up a lot of steam in the last couple of weeks (all four selections have come since January 15th). The Ravens are known to operate this way anyway, but it would not shock me at all if this is a pure ‘Best Player Available’ year for them, where they end up picking a player that many thought would go higher than this and end up falling into their laps. Maybe it’s Bain. Maybe it’s Mauigoa, Woods or Delane. A thing you’ll hear is ‘good players seem to always fall to the Ravens’, and I think this could be one of those years where it happens.
15 – Tampa Bay – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
Pick Results:
2 – LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
2 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
2 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
1 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
1 – EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
1 – LB CJ Allen (Georgia)
1 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
1 – T Spencer Fano (Utah)
Here’s another selection that is spread extremely thin, with a three-way tie at the tippy top. Styles and Sadiq are both off the board, so Faulk becomes the ‘official’ selection here. I know I’m higher on him than most, but I have a sneaking suspicion that we will start to see him going higher in these mock drafts in a few weeks. He also happens to be a perfect fit for a lot of the things the Bucs stand for and he’s a good scheme fit for Todd Bowles. This one is one of my favorite selections in the mock.
16 – NY Jets (from IND) – WR Makai Lemon (USC)
Pick Results:
6 – WR Makai Lemon (USC)
2 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
2 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
1 – QB Ty Simpson (Alabama)
1 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
This connection has certainly picked up steam in the last few weeks as well, as many will point to the Jets trying to create a soft landing for whoever their quarterback of the future ends up being. I have my doubts about whether Lemon actually goes this high or not, but I do think his profile is one that would appeal to the coaching staff there and the culture they’re trying to set. The Peter Woods link, which actually occurred in the first two mocks of the sample, makes a lot of sense to me as well.
17 – Detroit – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
Pick Results:
2 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
2 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
2 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
2 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
1 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
1 – EDGE Zion Young (Missouri)
1 – EDGE TJ Parker (Clemson)
1 – EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
1 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
This one is basically split right down the middle, with 6 analysts pegging and offensive lineman to the Lions while 7 believe they do defense (with no feel on which defender they’d select). I do think that Proctor makes sense here (hat tip to Bucky Brooks and Tony Pauline on that pairing). I think the Lions could go any number of directions here.
18 – Minnesota – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
Pick Results:
4 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
3 – CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
2 – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
1 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
1 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
1 – RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
1 – DL A’Mauri Washington (Oregon)
This pick gets thrown for a loop because former Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired late in the process, just after the Senior Bowl, but right now 10-of-13 analysts had the Vikings going with a DB. Both McCoy and Delane are off the board in this exercise, so McNeil-Warren (a personal favorite of mine) is the surprising pick in this slot. This is another team that I expect to see change when it comes to positions of focus by sharp mock drafters throughout the spring.
19 – Carolina – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
Pick Results:
3 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
2 – EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
2 – EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
1 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – LB CJ Allen (Georgia)
1 – DL A’Mauri Washington (Oregon)
1 – EDGE TJ Parker (Clemson)
1 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
10-of-13 analysts see the Panthers going with a defensive lineman with this pick, it’s just a matter of which one. Keeping Peter Woods in the Carolinas definitely makes sense, and he’d fit in very well next to Derrick Brown up front for the Panthers. You could honestly sell me on Woods, Mesidor and Faulk all in this spot (I’m not quite sure that I see the Howell fit here).
20 – Dallas (from GB) – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
Pick Results:
3 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
2 – EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
2 – CB Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
1 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
1 – EDGE/DL Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
1 – RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
1 – EDGE TJ Parker (Clemson)
With their second pick in the first round, the Cowboys are, again, widely viewed as a defensive team with this selection (with just two analysts looking to the offensive side of the ball). Terrell gets the slight edge here over Mesidor. With a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker in the fold, anything is on the table here, but Terrell would definitely go against the body type and skillset that we have seen lately from Cowboys draft picks at cornerback (although McCoy would check a lot of those boxes were he to fall to them here).
I’ve had my reservations about Akheem Mesidor’s ability to go in the first round, as he turns 25 years old before the draft and has had a history of foot injuries. The Cowboys, however, are a team that I think would be willing to look past that. They have been unafraid of taking risks on guys with medical red flags in the past (see Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, Chazz Green, etc). They also have seemed to try and extract value with picks outside the Top 20 with players that fall due to age, medial or off-field concerns, so I’d keep an eye on Mesidor here. That said, I love Terrell. I think this would be a phenomenal pick for Dallas. He’s one of my favorite players in this draft, regardless of position. My comparison for him is Jaire Alexander, a player that Parker had a lot of success with in Green Bay during his time there.
21 – Pittsburgh – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
Pick Results:
3 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
3 – WR Makai Lemon (USC)
2 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
2 – QB Ty Simpson (Alabama)
1 – CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
1 – WR Zachariah Branch (Georgia)
1 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
9-of-13 analysts see the Steelers going with a receiver here to help boost new coach Mike McCarthy’s passing game. Just two have them selecting a quarterback and only one has them going with a defensive player. This is an old defense, so seeing them add some more youth to that side of the ball should not be completely ruled out. The McCarthy hiring and rumors of an Aaron Rodgers return do not paint the picture of a team looking to completely hit the reset button, so I’d look for them to potentially draft more for ‘need’ than you’d expect here by the time we get to April.
22 – LA Chargers – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
Pick Results:
2 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
2 – DL Caleb Banks (Florida)
1 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
1 – EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
1 – EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
1 – G Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon)
1 – DL Lee Hunter (Texas Tech)
1 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
1 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
1 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
All but two analysts see the Bolts going with a lineman, which definitely makes sense given what we know about the leadership in that building. McDonald breaks the tie because his second selection happened more recently in the sample (whereas both Banks selections happened in mocks from January 5th), but I actually think the Florida tackle makes a bit more sense here.
23 – Philadelphia – CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)
Pick Results:
3 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
2 – CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)
2 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
1 – EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
1 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
1 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
1 – CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
1 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
1 – EDGE Damon Wilson (Missouri)
Cornerback is the most popular position for sharp mock drafters so far, earning 6-of-13 selections. Terrell is off the board in this exercise, so the pick reverts to the next man up in Hood. Personally, I don’t know if Hood is a great fit in the scheme, but there is a fun Eagles connection here, as his uncle (Rod Hood) made the Eagles as an undrafted free agent back in 2003 and went on to carve out a lengthy NFL career. Hood has played for three teams in three years and only started this past year for the Vols, and while I think he has a starting skillset in the league I like him more in a man coverage scheme as opposed to the one employed by the Eagles and DC Vic Fangio (although I do concede that the Eagles shouldn’t necessarily draft solely on Fangio’s scheme because it’s unlikely that the players they select will be playing for Fangio beyond the next couple of years, tops).
Also, I still contend that this pick will go to the offensive side of the ball. At this point just 5-of-13 drafters went offense in their mock draft. I’m willing to make a bet that when I revisit this exercise a few weeks from now, that the percentage will swing back the other way. Whether it’s a pass catcher or a lineman, I can go back and forth on which one makes more sense. That said, the departure of OL Coach Jeff Stoutland throws the potential skillset out of whack. I feel less confident in ‘upside swings’ at the position with players like Kadyn Proctor or Max Iheanachor now than I did this time last week. Time will tell if that feeling is warranted or not. TE Kenyon Sadiq is still on the board in this exercise, and I think he’d make a ton of sense for this franchise in this spot – he just has not been mocked by any of the analysts in this sample.
24 – Cleveland (from JAX) – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
Pick Results:
2 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
2 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
2 – WR Zachariah Branch (Georgia)
1 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
1 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
1 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
1 – QB Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)
1 – G Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon)
1 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
1 – T Max Iheanachor (Arizona State)
The most popular position for this selection is clearly a receiver for the Browns, but it should be noted that a handful of mock drafters had Cleveland double-dipping along the offensive line here. It’s not completely unheard of to see teams do something like this (the Eagles did it at cornerback in 2024 and the Rams did it along the defensive line the same year), but that would certainly be interesting to see. A quarterback would surprise me (shout out to Tony Pauline for sneaking Chambliss into his mock; the jury is still out on whether or not he will be in this class or not).
25 – Chicago – DL Caleb Banks (Florida)
Pick Results:
3 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
1 – DL Caleb Banks (Florida)
1 – EDGE TJ Parker (Clemson)
1 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
1 – S Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
1 – LB Anthony Hill (Texas)
1 – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
1 – DL Christen Miller (Georgia)
1 – EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
1 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
1 – EDGE R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma)
Defensive line has definitely been the focus of mock drafters for the Bears thus far, with 8-of-13 analysts trending that way early on. McDonald is off the board here, so Banks (who appeared in Lance Zierlein’s mock 1.0 to Chicago last week) gets the nod as the most recent addition in the next tier. He checks a lot of the boxes that we’ve seen from the Bears recently in that he’s big, long and tough. The profile is a bit messy with his injury history and breakout age, but that is not something that has necessarily scared them away recently. And, hey, the last time they took a kid named Caleb in the first round it worked out pretty well.
I think the Banks fit makes a bit more sense to me than McDonald as well, if we’re being honest. McDonald is a good player but he does not offer a ton of rush upside. Banks does, and the flashes are really good in that area. He’s got more juice upfield than McDonald does. I mocked a safety to the Bears last month (as did NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah), and that is a position I’ll continue to keep an eye on as the offseason unfolds.
26 – Buffalo – LB CJ Allen (Georgia)
Pick Results:
4 – LB CJ Allen (Georgia)
2 – WR Chris Brazzell II (Tennessee)
2 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
1 – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
1 – EDGE Cashius Marsh (Texas A&M)
1 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
1 – WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
1 – Denzel Boston (Washington)
Allen is the most popular pick for the Bills, but the wide receiver position is the most commonly mocked spot for Buffalo here. Both make sense given the state of the roster going into the Combine. I do expect there to be some turnover on that defense, so adding a young staple who could be a core player to build around moving forward would make some sense. That said, I just like the value of the receivers more here in this spot than I do with Allen (who has awesome intangibles but, physically, is just a step below what I’d want in a Round 1 linebacker).
27 – San Francisco – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
Pick Results:
3 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
3 – T Monroe Freeling (Georgia)
2 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
1 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
1 – WR Chris Brazzell II (Tennessee)
1 – WR Chris Bell (Louisville)
1 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
1 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
So is it an offensive lineman or a pass catcher? This is a rare universal take at this stage of the process, as everyone is in agreement that these are the most likely areas to focus on for this team. Lomu and Freeling are both cut from the same cloth in that they are athletic blockers with high upside but not quite finished products. I, personally, like Freeling a bit more, but both guys fit San Francisco well. I do think that the need is so dire at pass catcher that they may go ahead and take one regardless of the perceived value (I am the lone wolf in projecting Chris Bell to this slot last month).
28 – Houston – T Monroe Freeling (Georgia)
Pick Results:
3 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
3 – G Vega Ioane (Penn State)
2 – DL Caleb Banks (Florida)
2 – DL A’Mauri Washington (Oregon)
1 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
1 – RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
1 – T Monroe Freeling (Georgia)
Well, this was almost pretty embarrassing for me, as it got down to the final name on that list before I found a player that I could actually slot into this position, with the six players above Freeling all unavailable (note: Washington returned to Oregon and is not in this draft class). This is instructive in that it shows (a) offensive linemen typically go earlier than you may expect and (b) the Texans may be a team to watch as far as moving up in this draft. They have extra ammunition after the Laremy Tunsil trade last spring netted them extra picks for this draft. Freeling is just a one-year starter at left tackle but would give them two book-end players at the position after last year’s selection of Aireontae Ersery went well this fall.
29 – LA Rams – QB Ty Simpson (Alabama)
Pick Results:
4 – QB Ty Simpson (Alabama)
2 – CB Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
1 – CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)
1 – T Blake Miller (Clemson)
1 – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
1 – CB Devin Moore (Florida)
1 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
1 – OL Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
I would expect this pairing to pick up steam as we continue through this part of the offseason, and public buzz is already building with it happening earlier in the first round. Keep an eye on the buzz to keep rolling in that direction through the Combine, despite the fact that MVP QB Matthew Stafford has announced his return for 2026.
30 – Denver – LB Jake Golday (Cincinnati)
Pick Results:
5 – LB CJ Allen (Georgia)
2 – LB Jake Golday (Cincinnati)
1 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
1 – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
1 – DL Peter Woods (Clemson)
1 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
1 – DL Caleb Banks (Florida)
1 – TE Justin Joly (NC State)
The most popular position mocked to the Broncos right now is linebacker, with 6-of-13 analysts going that direction, including with the two most commonly mocked players at this point in the process in Allen and Golday. Allen is gone here, so Golday is the selection. For me, personally, it’s a bit too rich for my blood. Golday is a big, athletic, versatile chess piece on defense as a former small school edge rusher who is converting to a more traditional off-ball role. He’s somewhat similar to recent Broncos draft pick Drew Sanders from a body type and skillset standpoint in that way. Like Sanders, I see Golday as more of a Day 2 pick than an option here in this slot, though some analysts (obviously) disagree.
I’m surprised that only three analysts (myself included) mocked an offensive weapon to the Broncos here. While that offense certainly performed well, getting another pass catcher to throw into the mix could really elevate the group as a whole. Kenyon Sadiq has not gone off the board in this exercise, and he would make perfect sense. Denzel Boston (who is long gone here) fits the body type that the Broncos have targeted. Beyond pass catcher, I’d look at interior defensive linemen for Denver.
31 – New England – EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
Pick Results:
2 – EDGE Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
2 – EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
2 – DL Lee Hunter (Texas Tech)
1 – T Monroe Freeling (Georgia)
1 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
1 – T Caleb Lomu (Utah)
1 – TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
1 – DL Caleb Banks (Florida)
1 – EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon)
1 – WR Chris Bell (Louisville)
I wrote earlier that there are only a few teams that I think would be on the table to select Mesidor in the first round, and I do think that the Patriots are one of those teams, so I can see this one happening. He brings the physicality that Mike Vrabel searches for and is a ready-made player right out of the box. For a team that is still looking to add more needle movers, he is capable of being that. I am SHOCKED that only one analyst had them taking a receiver (McShay in one of the first mocks in the entire sample). I expect that to change as long as New England keeps this pick.
32 – Seattle – CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
Pick Results:
4 – CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
2 – WR Denzel Boston (Washington)
2 – CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)
2 – WR KC Concepcion (Texas A&M)
1 – G Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M)
1 – EDGE R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma)
1 – DL Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
Cornerback is the most popular pick (6-of-13) for the Super Bowl champions thus far, which makes sense considering the names they have hitting the free agent market this spring. I am a bit surprised that just one guard was penciled into this spot (shout out to Lance Zierlein), given the issues the Seahawks had in protection on the interior throughout this season. Knowing the way John Schneider has worked in the past when picking this low in the round, I think it’s probably 50/50 odds that he trades down out of this spot for more bites at the apple later, if he can get some takers.
Notable Snubs
Every time I do this exercise, there are always a handful of players who end up falling out of the mock that no one expects. Sometimes that can be a harbinger of things to come (in March of last year, Shedeur Sanders fell out of the round in this exercise, as did Nick Emmanwori), but sometimes it can just be a weird randomness of a player that doesn’t have a universal fit yet in the mock draft (Armand Membou fell out of the first version of this exercise last year, and he went in the Top 10). That said, here are the notable names that did not go here:
WR Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
TE Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
T Max Iheanachor (Arizona State)
EDGE TJ Parker (Clemson)
EDGE Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
Mock Draft Sample:
Lance Zierlein – NFL Media – February 2
Eric Edholm – NFL Media – January 30
Bucky Brooks – NFL Media – January 28
Danny Kelly – The Ringer – January 28
Daniel Jeremiah – NFL Media – January 26
Tony Pauline – Essentially Sports – January 22
Mel Kiper – ESPN – January 21
Dane Brugler – The Athletic – January 15
Fran Duffy – ALLCITY – January 8
Nate Tice / Charles McDonald – Yahoo! – January 6
Jordan Reid – ESPN – January 6
Mike Renner – CBS – January 5
Todd McShay – The Ringer – January 5
