2026 NFL Mock Draft V4

The Lions badly need a pass rusher, but with Taylor Decker gone and Penei Sewell likely shifting to left tackle, they’re positioned to take their pick of the top offensive tackles. With Kadyn Proctor, Monroe Freeling, Caleb Lomu, and Blake Miller all on the board, Detroit has options.

Proctor stands out as a rare physical specimen at 6‑7, 336 pounds and a mauling gap tackle than Dan Campbell could fall in love with. His raw talent is unmistakably top‑10 caliber, and his 2025 tape showed real growth. His size and power are already NFL‑ready, though inconsistent footwork and vulnerability to pure speed suggest he may ultimately fit better at right tackle or even as a dominant guard. Even so, his ceiling is enormous. With proper development, Proctor has the tools to become a multi‑contract, Pro Bowl‑level lineman.

The Vikings’ veteran stopgaps at defensive tackle — Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave — served their purpose in 2025 but are now off the roster, leaving a clear long‑term need. Peter Woods or Kayden McDonald would make plenty of sense here. However, given Brian Flores’ scheme, this defense could benefit even more from an explosive, highly athletic safety who can eventually replace Harrison Smith and become the new anchor of the secondary.

After a breakout 2025 season and an elite combine performance, he’s surged up draft boards. Premium safeties often slip into Round 2, but in a weaker class, Thieneman has a very realistic chance to land in the back third of Round 1. Amongst the most common player-to-team pairings in the NFL.

Ikem Ekwonu has likely played his final snap in Carolina after tearing his patellar tendon in the Wild Card round entering his final season under contract. A solid one‑year deal for Rasheed Walker stabilises the tackle spot for 2026, unless the Panthers believe Monroe Freeling is simply too good to pass up. Meanwhile, they still haven’t found a true long‑term TE1 for Bryce Young, and their top option, JT Sanders, is coming off a significant injury. Being a pivotal year for Young, Carolina must surround him with talent — and at this point in the draft, Kenyon Sadiq is comfortably the best player available.

Sadiq is raw, but his physical gifts are undeniable: explosive, powerful, and — in this writer’s view — a more polished route runner than he’s often credited for. Combine that with his willingness as an in‑line blocker and his ability to create mismatches from the slot, and you get a prospect with the upside to develop into one of the league’s premier tight ends within a few years. He can also line up in the slot.

As noted earlier, the Cowboys could be aggressive in targeting a linebacker in Round 1. With no pick until No. 92, they won’t have the luxury of considering second‑round options like Jacob Rodriguez, Anthony Hill, or Jake Golday. If CJ Allen is still on the board, the Cowboys wouldn’t hesitate to run the card in. The bigger question may be whether he makes it past Tampa Bay.

Allen is one of this writer’s favourite prospects in the class. He’s an old‑school, no‑nonsense off‑ball linebacker: physical, disciplined, and instinctive. He diagnoses quickly, tackles with authority, and brings a calming, stabilising presence to the middle of a defence. He’s not an elite tester or a measurables standout, and he’s coming off recent surgery, but the tape is outstanding and his intangibles are reportedly exceptional.

Outside of DK Metcalf — who profiles more as a high‑end No. 2 than a true top option — no Steelers receiver even cracked 400 yards in 2025. They’ve clearly missed George Pickens’ speed and big‑play ability. Even with the addition of Michael Pittman Jr., Pittsburgh still needs another reliable target, especially with Mike McCarthy set to run far more 11‑personnel than Arthur Smith.

Omar Cooper Jr. has been on a meteoric rise since Indiana’s national championship run. He enters the 2026 class as one of the most polished receivers available, posting 69 catches, 937 yards, and 13 touchdowns last season. His game blends toughness, versatility, and clutch playmaking, giving him the profile of a pro‑ready contributor who can immediately elevate the Steelers’ passing attack.

The Chargers - like the Ravens - have a terrible interior OL, but there are better zone-blocking fits like the scheme OC Mike McDaniel will presumably run on Day 2. Meanwhile, they need to bolster their defensive line - both at edge rusher (if Khalil Mack and Odafe Oweh leave in free agency), as well as at 3-4 DT.

Kayden McDonald was the top run‑defending defensive lineman in college football last season, earning an elite 91.2 PFF run‑defense grade. He also took a step forward as a pass rusher with 3.5 sacks, though there’s still room for growth in that area only earning a 4% pass rush win rate. Although he had a mixed combine, it isn’t the best environment for a run mauling nose tackle like McDonald. On tape, his power, leverage, and consistency would be a welcome addition, and the tape speaks for itself, even if the former Big Blue head coach may have to swallow his pride to accept a former Buckeye into the fold.

The Eagles are one of the toughest teams to project in any mock draft, but one consistent organisational trait is their habit of drafting trench players a year before they’re needed. With Lane Johnson inching closer to retirement — and with edge options like Zion Young or Cashius Howell still on the board — Philadelphia could have gone in several directions. But Monroe Freeling’s slide is simply too much value to pass up.

Freeling has surged up draft boards thanks to his rare athletic profile, outstanding size, and long‑term upside at left tackle. Some evaluators have even mocked him as high as No. 6 to Cleveland. That’s too rich for this writer given his raw technique and developmental needs, but the athletic traits jump off the tape: lateral agility, foot quickness, and range that are all high‑end for the position. With proper coaching, Freeling has the ceiling to become a high‑end NFL tackle — and the Eagles are exactly the type of team that plans ahead for that kind of payoff.

Jerry Jeudy may be the Browns’ top wideout, but he profiles more as a mid‑tier WR2 and hasn’t lived up to his draft pedigree. Cleveland urgently needs a true starting X receiver, and they’re fortunate to land a high‑floor option this late in Round 1 with Denzel Boston.

Boston brings mismatch size, reliable hands, and impressive acceleration for a bigger-bodied target. He’s more of a “jack of all trades, master of none,” but that versatility gives him a strong baseline and immediate utility. Like many receivers with his build, his draft range will ultimately depend on how consistently he can separate against NFL‑caliber coverage. Even so, he’s a likely late first‑rounder — and if he slips into Day 2, he won’t be waiting long given his pro-ready skill set.

Zion Young is a strong schematic fit here at defensive end, but the Bears have a more pressing need at safety, even after adding Coby Bryant in free agency. Young also carries character concerns, and with both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard departing, the hole on the back end is glaring. McNeil‑Warren fits the exact safety profile Chicago covets — and there’s a significant gap between him and the next tier of options such as Kilgore, Ramsey, Wheatley, or Haucley.

McNeil‑Warren is rangy, physical, and versatile enough to handle multiple responsibilities in both coverage and run support. He’s a commanding presence on the back end with explosive closing speed, strong tackling discipline, and the flexibility to rotate between deep safety and box alignments. He brings the kind of reliability and physicality the Bears need to stabilise their secondary.

The Bills are shifting to a 3‑4 defense and already needed to upgrade their pass rush, having lacked a true difference‑maker on the edge for years. They’ve been forced to patch things together with aging veterans like Von Miller and Joey Bosa, and that approach is no longer sustainable.

If Cashius Howell were a bit bigger with a longer wingspan, he’d be a top‑15 lock. Even so, he’s one of the most naturally gifted edge defenders in the class — twitchy, powerful, and relentless. His first‑step burst is elite, consistently stressing tackles and forcing protections to adjust. He plays with heavy hands, sets a sturdy edge in the run game, and closes with the kind of speed that turns pressures into sacks. On top of the physical traits, he’s regarded as a high‑character individual, according to Charlie Campbell’s sources.

The 49ers are likely to approach Rounds 1 and 2 with a DE‑WR or WR‑DE strategy. Even with the additions of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, receiver remains a need. Evans, Pearsall, and Kirk form a solid trio when healthy, but Evans’ “three‑year” deal is essentially a one‑year commitment with two option years, and Kirk now profiles more as a WR3. Given their top‑30 visits — often a strong indicator for San Francisco — and Zion Young’s character concerns likely taking him off John Lynch’s board in Round 1, the 49ers pivot to wide receiver here.

Concepcion impressed this writer throughout 2025 and looks like an ideal after‑the‑catch and slot fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. His elusiveness, deep‑threat ability, speed, and route‑running polish make him a natural playmaker, and he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands. He’ll need to cut down on drops to stay out of Shanahan’s doghouse, but he’s widely expected to go late in Round 1 and has met with nearly every receiver‑needy team in that range.

The Texans largely addressed their offensive line in free agency, so one suspects they could opt to address their defensive front, which needs an injection of young at defensive tackle quite badly.

Peter Woods fits that vision perfectly. Woods is one of the most powerful and technically refined defensive tackles in the class. His leverage, hand usage, and ability to anchor make him a problem for both zone and gap‑scheme offenses. He plays with a low center of gravity, violent hands, and the kind of natural strength that collapses pockets and resets the line of scrimmage. While he may never be a pure stat‑sheet pass rusher, his ability to create interior pressure, eat doubles, and free up Houston’s athletic linebackers is exactly what this defense is built around.

The Chiefs would be fortunate to be in the position, as they’d have their pick of cornerbacks. However, they also desperately need another 4-3 base end to pair with George Karlaftis. Here is one with immense upside, but off-field concerns, allowing the Chiefs to draft perhaps Chris Johnson, Aveion Terrell or Brandon Cisse early in Round 2.

Young is one of the most intriguing projection players in the class. His length, first‑step burst, and natural leverage give him a raw but enticing foundation. He’s far from a finished product - his hand usage is inconsistent, and teams will need to vet the character concerns stemming from his DUI arrest - but the upside is undeniable. In a rotation with a healthy Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, Young could be brought along at the right pace while still offering immediate value as a sub‑package rusher.

While cornerback was seriously considered, the Dolphins offensive line was grossly neglected and poorly scouted under Chris Grier’s regime.. Austin Jackson has also missed more than half his games at Right Tackle over the past 2 seasons, and can play guard. Here is a pro-ready right tackle to anchor their offensive line for the next several years.

Miller is one of the most battle‑tested tackles in the class, bringing a blend of size, power, and technical refinement that makes him one of the safer projections at the position. At 6‑6 and over 320 pounds, he plays with a strong anchor, heavy hands, and the ability to displace defenders in the run game. His pass protection is steady and disciplined, with enough foot quickness to handle speed and enough strength to absorb power.

Will Campbell played better than his postseason tape suggests, but his Super Bowl performance still raises concern, and with 35‑year‑old Morgan Moses only a short‑term solution, the Patriots need another long‑term tackle option. With pass‑rush help available on Day 2, landing a versatile prospect at No. 31 gives them flexibility at either tackle spot.

Caleb Lomu is one of the class’s most intriguing developmental tackles — long, athletic, and exceptionally fluid, with movement skills ideal for a wide‑zone system. His foot quickness, bend, and comfort in space consistently show up on film. He still needs to add strength and refine his hands, but the foundational traits are outstanding, rivaling even Monroe Freeling in this writer’s view.

The Seahawks have an elite roster, but lost quite a bit of talent at cornerback. Josh Jobe was re-signed, but is upgradable and could move to the slot if the Hawks decide to move Emmanwori to his more natural box safety role full-time.

Colton Hood is a fluid, instinctive corner with the footwork and transitional quickness to mirror receivers in man coverage. His ball skills flash on tape, and he plays with the kind of competitive edge the Chiefs covet on the perimeter. While he’ll need to add strength and refine his press technique, his movement skills and feel for routes give him legitimate starting upside.