play0:35Mansoor Delane’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from LSU’s Mansoor Delane.
play0:27Blake Miller’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Clemson’s Blake Miller.
Why Schrager predicts Jets will take David Bailey at No. 2 (0:42)Peter Schrager breaks down the differences between David Bailey and Arvell Reese, and why he feels the Jets will take Bailey. (0:42)
Peter SchragerMultiple AuthorsApr 22, 2026, 06:25 AM ET
12. Kansas City Chiefs (via projected trade with DAL)
13. Detroit Lions (via projected trade with LAR/ATL)
17. Los Angeles Rams (via projected trade with DET)
20. Kansas City Chiefs (via projected trade with DAL/GB)
28. Carolina Panthers (via projected trade with HOU)
29. Dallas Cowboys (via projected trade with KC/LAR)
32. Arizona Cardinals (via projected trade with SEA)
Here’s something to remember as we go through all 32 picks. One NFL general manager from a team picking early told me that we can throw positional value out the window this year. The best players in the class include a running back, an off-ball linebacker and a safety. There aren’t a ton of elite offensive tackles, edge rushers, corners and receivers, and the only top-tier quarterback is a lock to go No. 1. That leaves chaos in the top 10 and beyond.
But let’s try to make some sense of the chaos. Here are my final projections for every first-round pick — including a few trades to shake things up even more — based on my latest intel. You can catch me on “The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular” (Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+) to see how it all goes down.
Frankly, this pick could have been made in January as soon as Mendoza won the national title and entered the draft. All final mock drafts start at No. 2.
I’ve had Bailey going to the Jets for the past month, and I have no further intel telling me any differently. Ohio State’s Arvell Reese is a great player, but I’m sticking with Bailey. New York needs his instant production (14.5 sacks last season) for its lackluster pass rush.
It would be hard for the Titans to not take Reese if he’s still available, considering their need at edge rusher. But it’d also be hard for coach Robert Saleh to leave Styles on the board. He is seen as a near guarantee with exciting traits. And remember that Saleh loved having Fred Warner in his defense in San Francisco. Tennessee wants franchise cornerstones, and Styles can be just that.
I haven’t seen many mock drafts having Reese slip this far, and maybe he won’t. But I also remember Leonard Williams inexplicably falling out of the top five in 2015. These things happen. Edge rusher is not one of the Giants’ holes, but the roster needs good football players. Choosing to add the blue-chip prospect makes sense — especially if New York ends up trading Kayvon Thibodeaux. If the Giants can get Reese, I think they’d take him.
There are a lot of good options on the board, including Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. But Washington has to help Jayden Daniels and get this offense back on track. The Commanders scored 20.1 points per game last season but didn’t make many WR additions in free agency. The entire receiver class is available here. I think Washington could pair Tate with Terry McLaurin.
New Orleans needs a receiver, but it also lost a lot of talent on defense this offseason. Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said on “The Schrager Hour” that Downs can be the face of a franchise and could immediately become the smartest player for an NFL defense. He had six INTs over the past three seasons and makes plays against the run. Brandon Staley got the most out of Derwin James Jr. in Los Angeles, and he can do the same for Downs in New Orleans.
Mansoor Delane’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from LSU’s Mansoor Delane.
Check out some of the top highlights from LSU’s Mansoor Delane.
General manager Joe Schoen had dinner with Tyson at the end of last week, and I believe there’s a chance the Giants take him at No. 5. Going fifth might be too rich, considering Tyson’s durability issues (he missed 17 of 51 possible games in college). But taking him at the back end of the top 10 with the pick coming back from the Dexter Lawrence II trade is a better value. Tyson could join Malik Nabers, Isaiah Likely and crew to give Jaxson Dart some real options in the pass game.
Taylor Decker was released, and Proctor is still sitting there. So, general manager Brad Holmes might call up his old team and see if the Rams are open for business. Proctor would be a huge presence (6-foot-7, 352 pounds) at left tackle for Jared Goff and the Detroit offense, and taking a left tackle would mean Penei Sewell could stay on the right side.
The Ravens have always had great success drafting offensive linemen in the first round. And they can lighten the loss of one of those successes (center Tyler Linderbaum, signed in Las Vegas) by taking the best guard on many boards around the league. Ioane is a 6-foot-4, 320-pound mauler, and he could join John Simpson in cleaning up the guard position for Baltimore.
Yes, he’s 25 years old. Yes, he has an injury history. But Mesidor produces in a massive way (12.5 sacks last season) and is at his best in the biggest games. I loved watching him in the College Football Playoff. Mesidor would immediately upgrade Tampa Bay’s defense after that unit allowed 5.7 yards per play in 2025 (25th).
If the Rams don’t take Lemon at No. 13 (remember, I have L.A. trading back to No. 17), he could definitely still be here when the Jets are on the clock. He’s a tough, smart receiver with a relentlessness to the way he plays. If things fall this way, that means the two New York teams each walk away from the top half of Round 1 with an elite pass rusher and a star receiver. Bailey-Lemon would be compared to Reese-Tyson in East Rutherford for years.
The whole industry has been putting Thieneman with Minnesota at No. 18 for weeks. It makes sense. The Vikings need an impact safety, and Thieneman has the speed and instincts to thrive in coordinator Brian Flores’ defense. But … I also think Minnesota could consider Sadiq here if he’s still available. T.J. Hockenson is entering a contract year.
With three offensive tackles already off the board and a few OT-needy teams coming up, Houston can flip its early Round 3 pick to move up nine spots in Round 1 and get an experienced, reliable right tackle. Miller is steady. And after another OL remake for the Texans, that’s what they need. Miller is an immediate starter who can help open run lanes and keep C.J. Stroud clean.
Blake Miller’s NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Clemson’s Blake Miller.
Check out some of the top highlights from Clemson’s Blake Miller.
The expectation is Aaron Rodgers will be back. Pittsburgh has to make sure the protection is right with a 42-year-old quarterback, even if Rodgers gets the ball out quickly again. Freeling started for only a season and a half in college, but he’s athletic and has a lot of starter-level traits.
Don’t let the two sacks of last season fool you. Faulk can play. He has all the traits coaches want, and the potential is there. Plus, edge rusher depth is a key need for the Chargers after losing Odafe Oweh.
Edge is a big need for Chicago. The Bears have to find someone to create pressure opposite Montez Sweat. We might see a little push for edge rushers at the end of Round 1, and Chicago could land Parker with the hope that he gets back to his 11-sack production of 2024 (he had five in 2025).
Buffalo was 30th against the run last season, averaging 5.1 yards allowed per carry, so it should be considering ways to improve that. Woods — along with Parker, his Clemson teammate — was getting a ton of buzz heading into the 2025 season, and although his production dipped, he has blue-chip upside. Concepcion would also be interesting here, but I think the Bills go defense.
The 49ers got the Trent Williams contract situation figured out, but he’s still going to be 38 years old when the season begins. Strengthening the offensive line in both the long and short term has to be a priority. Lomu didn’t get the attention that Fano did at Utah, but he played left tackle for the Utes at a high level over 24 career starts.
Carolina’s trade back would still land the Panthers a do-it-all receiver to complement Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan in an offense on the upswing. Concepcion went for 919 yards and nine scores last season.
Lawrence has quietly risen the board over the past two months, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hears his name late in Round 1. Dallas gets the defense-defense double up that has been predicted for a while, but it does it from two different picks than expected after the projected trade. Lawrence can boost the pass rush; he had seven sacks in 2025.
The concerns around McCoy’s knee are real, so I think he does go a little later than previously thought. But … I don’t think he falls out of the first round. The Dolphins have 11 picks in this draft, and considering the state of their cornerback room, this is a swing worth taking. When healthy, McCoy can be a difference-maker.
Here’s another late-rising edge rusher who should go in Round 1. The Patriots are out of range for an offensive tackle here, so attacking the edge rush makes sense. They had just 35 sacks last season and lost K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency. Young is able to get a ton of pressure on opponent QBs (48 pressures last season, 15th in the FBS).
I took you all the way to the last pick of the mock draft, but yes, I have Simpson going in Round 1. To move back two spots, the Seahawks would happily add a sixth-round pick in a year when they have only four total selections. And the Cardinals would happily give up that late-rounder to (a) get Simpson and (b) get him with a fifth-year option. Simpson is slated to be in the green room at the draft, and though it might be a long night, I think he will come off the board on Day 1.
OK, our first trade! I could see this happening. After allowing 377 yards per game and letting opponents convert on third down 47.3% of the time — ranking among the worst in the NFL in both — Dallas has to get one of the top defensive prospects. It’s a necessity. But there’s no guarantee any of them — Downs, Delane, Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. et al — will still be there at No. 12. This is a chance to guarantee getting one of them and still have another first-round pick. Delane’s coverage ability should help stop some of the big plays that doomed the Cowboys in 2025.