2026 NFL mock draft 9.2: Here's how 1st round plays out, from Arvell Reese to Chiefs to Patriots nabbing an edge rusher

2. New York Jets — David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

There’s been a lot of smoke recently linking the Jets and Bailey, so let’s follow suit and start the draft here. This might be a bit rich for Bailey considering the Jets have their pick of the litter, but one thing he has over the Ohio State trio is conventional positional value helping his cause. Bailey’s appeal is all about his upside as a pass rusher, which is sky high. He has the athleticism, tenacity and a growing set of techniques to use to be a factor early in his career. He has a lot of room to grow as a run defender, but he’s shown upside there as well, albeit inconsistently. The addition of 365-pound nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat makes this pick more palatable and will let Bailey be aggressive without killing the structure of the Jets’ defense.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (from Arizona Cardinals) — Arvell Reese, Edge/LB, Ohio State

We’re sending the ninth and 40th picks to Arizona for this one, and the Chiefs might need a little more to sweeten the pot for a move up like this. But the Cardinals (and Titans after them) feel like the pivot points of this year’s draft. The Cardinals could just sit and take whomever they want, or move back some to bet they can snag their preferred offensive lineman, all while getting more to work with on Day 2, the sweet spot of this year’s draft.

A trade up makes sense for the Chiefs as they haven’t held a top-10 pick in the draft since they moved up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017. And you know what’s cooler than a top-10 pick? A top-three pick. I consider Reese the best non-quarterback in this year’s draft, and this ability to impact the game, both presently and what he can become in the future, on the line of scrimmage or from off-ball spots makes him an incredible fit for Steve Spagnuolo’s Bolo punch defense. All while keeping the 29th pick, too.

4. Tennessee Titans — Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

This is very high for a player who is projected to be an off-ball linebacker in the NFL, but Styles is a rare talent. At 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, he has elite size and still manages to play with consistent leverage when attacking downhill. He seemed to get better every week and has come a long way from 2024 when he was making the transition from safety to linebacker. Here, he ends up with Robert Saleh, who knows the value of a steady presence in the middle of the field. Not only did he coach Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw at the peak of their powers, he also spent a few years with C.J. Mosley with the Jets toward the end of his career. While off-ball linebackers normally don’t go this high, there may be something to be said about having an elite player at that position in a league that doesn’t have many. It would be a weapon essentially no other team has right now.

5. New York Giants — Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

The Giants are locked and loaded with two of the top 10 selections in this year’s draft after trading star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals. Now they wield 16 minutes’ worth of picks Thursday night, opening up all kinds of possibilities to attack their roster.

Downs would be the highest selected safety in over a decade. His game, a steadiness he brings every play from some part of the center of the defense, would help solidify the back end of a Giants unit that has yielded big play after big play over the past few seasons.

6. Cleveland Browns — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Tate brings a raised level of competence to the Browns’ wide receiver room they sorely need. The execution on every level of their passing game needs major improvement and Tate would provide a high floor starter to pair with tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and running back Quinshon Judkins as the core young offensive talent. Tate might not have the profile of a dominant No. 1 wide receiver, but he can undoubtedly be a heavily targeted option.

7. Washington Commanders — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

There simply aren’t many offenses that can unleash a quarterback and running back that can both run a sub-4.4 40 on every snap. I like how the Commanders addressed the running back room already this offseason, and they have other positions and needs on their roster they could easily go after. But with so many defensive players going early, and the Commanders perhaps feeling like they can address offensive needs later, they instead go with perhaps the best skill player in this year’s draft class to boost their offense with first time play-caller David Blough.

8. New Orleans Saints — Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

The Saints need to add juice off the edge to a defense that ranked 22nd in pressure rate last season. Rueben Bain Jr. comes in an NFL-ready body (short arms and all) and has the density requirement the Saints have preferred out of their defensive ends. Bain and Chase Young could be a nice duo as the Saints continue to turn the page into the next chapter of their post-Drew Brees era.

9. Arizona Cardinals (via Kansas City Chiefs) — Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

The Cardinals address their offensive line with the first player in that position group off the board while adding pick No. 40 to their quiver. I almost went with Monroe Freeling here, but instead selected perhaps a cleaner fit in Mauigoa; a strong and technically proficient right tackle who could kick inside, both spots where the Cardinals would love to have any type of long-term solution.

10. New York Giants (via Cincinnati Bengals) — Keldric Faulk, DL/Edge, Auburn

Out goes Dexter Lawrence, in comes Faulk. He is a monster against the run and has a ton of upside to grow as a player who doesn’t turn 21 until September. He’s raw as a pass rusher, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. His role in Auburn’s defense didn’t allow for many clean pass rushing reps, so he’s a bit of a blank slate there. He’s right at the “tweener” range now, but his ability to stand strong against the run and eat double teams is rare for someone with his frame. He probably has the best run defending tape in the class.

More 2026 NFL mock drafts: 8.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0

11. Miami Dolphins — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

The Dolphins could go offensive line or pass catcher here (I mean look at who Malik Willis is throwing to right now). Instead let’s give their new head coach the first cornerback off the board. Delane is smart, and has a knack for baiting quarterbacks in zone coverage and making plays on the football. He’s a great fit for Jeff Hafley at a position group that’s been getting by with some *waves hand* names lately.

12. Dallas Cowboys —  Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Dallas needs to continue to upgrade its defense. Here, the Cowboys take a big hack at a potentially great cornerback in McCoy. He didn’t play last season while recovering from an ACL tear, but his tape shows some high-end traits in man coverage and has the length and athleticism teams emphasize at the position. It’s a risk, but that word doesn’t even compute to Jerry Jones.

13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) — Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

At first I wanted to give the Rams a different type of flavor at wide receiver than what they trot out. Instead I go with a burly pass catcher with blocking chops to bridge their present and future. Boston is a smooth athlete with size and ball skills to mix and match with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams (who is 34 and entering the last year of his contract). He is a valid threat working on the ball, and has some upside as a power slot player the Rams feature heavily in their offense.

14. Baltimore Ravens — Spencer Fano, OL, Utah

Baltimore gets a strong upgrade to its offensive line here with the pick the franchise almost traded for Maxx Crosby. Fano can play wherever the Ravens would need him, likely slotting in at guard in this scenario to help re-stabilize the interior after losing center Tyler Linderbaum to a record free-agent contract. A strong ground game is always going to be part of the plan as long as Lamar Jackson is the quarterback, so getting talented big boys is never a bad idea.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

The Eagles jump up eight spots here to get ahead of the offensive line run. Freeling really came along in the second half of the 2025 season and has the size and athleticism to hang on the left side. His improved strength and cleaner hands will make him a clean fit on the right side as Lane Johnson’s heir apparent as well. The Eagles are going to try and bolster their offense as much as they can, especially with how the winds of their contracts are currently blowing. Getting a possible high-end offensive tackle in the teens would go a long way in bolstering an Eagles offense that is going through plenty of changes.

16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts) — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

The Jets need everything, but their defense has gotten a lot of love up to this point in the offseason so here's another talented target to pair with Garrett Wilson for Geno Smith’s return to New York. The long-term quarterback isn’t on the roster, but whoever that eventually ends up being in the future will at least have a nice little cast of talent to play with if the Jets take Tyson here. Stylistically, he’d be a nice complement to Wilson as well with his size and ability to dominate in the more physical areas of wide receiver play.

17. Detroit Lions — Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

The Lions should be addressing the trenches on both sides of the ball early in this year’s draft. Iheanachor is a toolsy tackle who has the athleticism and upside to play at both tackle spots. Although he is a latecomer to football, he has more polish than you’d expect playing the position. It doesn’t hurt that he will be paired with offensive line coach Hank Fraley to help smooth out the rougher parts of his game. The Lions want to make the strength of their team the strength of their team again, and I think Iheanachor can play early enough, and well enough, to help that out.

18. Minnesota Vikings — Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

The Vikings could use a big-time talent on the interior of their defensive line, and they get that here with McDonald. He is one of the underrated gems of this draft class, being a bit overshadowed by his teammates who were (mock) drafted prior to this pick. He has a lot of playmaking ability for a nose tackle prospect, notching an absurd 65 tackles (31 solo) with nine of them going for a loss. He also had three sacks and two forced fumbles. That level of production is a bit of an anomaly — he’d be the active run plugger this defense quietly needs in a big way.

19. Carolina Panthers — Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

The Panthers are kind of tough to pin down! They made splashy moves this offseason to help out their defense, and Thieneman would be another asset thrown to help out that side of the ball. Thieneman’s ability to work as a top-down defender and near the box makes him a great fit for Ejiro Evero’s defense, which asks its safeties to shore up the action up front.

20. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers) — Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami

Dallas double dips on defense here by taking the other Miami pass rusher, Akheem Mesidor. He isn’t as complete a player as his teammate Rueben Bain Jr., and he’s already turned 25 after six years of college football, but quite frankly the options at edge rusher have thinned out quickly here. Dallas could still use some more pass rush juice off the edge to pair with Quinnen Williams and the Cowboys snag it here.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers — Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State

I feel like we have mocked a wide receiver at this point so many times for the Steelers, but guard makes just as much sense to help them out for the present and future as another pass catcher (something they can grab later). Isaac Seumalo departed in free agency, leaving a void at left guard that Ioane would fit neatly in. The Steelers’ offensive line already has a few talented players, and Ioane would help turn it into a formidable unit even with questions involving prior first-rounders at left tackle.

22. Los Angeles Chargers — Peter Woods, DL, Clemson

Los Angeles has gotten a little old along the defensive line and can draft someone with big-time ability here. Prior to the season, Woods was seen as a potential top-10 pick and those flashes are still there, albeit not as consistently as he was hoping. Still, he clearly has a pathway toward being a long-term, high-impact starter if he can hone the traits that had people so excited about him coming into the 2025 season. He’s not far away from being someone the Chargers can pair with Tuli Tuipulotu for the long term.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Philadelphia Eagles) — Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

No matter what you think the Buccaneers’ needs are, every position is live for general manager Jason Licht to select. Even in the first round. Sadiq would be a way for the Buccaneers to add firepower to their pass catchers and bolster the position after Tampa Bay extended Cade Otton this offseason. I even think Sadiq’s blocking ability on the move would be a good fit for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson in the run game, too.

24. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars) — Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

The Browns get the offensive tackle they’ve been linked to with Proctor still on the board for their second first-round pick. Proctor has all the talent in the world, but he’s on the heavier side, weighing in at the scouting combine at 352 pounds. He had to play his way into shape last season, which started with an ugly performance against Florida State. Still, there’s so much athleticism here packed into a gargantuan frame that it’s not hard to see why someone will take the risk. Proctor and current Browns tackle Dawand Jones would have to be the biggest offensive tackle duo in the NFL by a wide margin.

25. Chicago Bears — Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

The spine of the defense could be looked at here, but the Bears’ offensive line went from among the league’s best to a big question mark in a hurry. Left tackle became a position of need after Ozzy Trapilo suffered a late-season injury, and Lomu’s light feet and easy moving athleticism would make him a great fit in an offense that runs a good heaping of zone runs and puts its offensive linemen on the move. Lomu could end up the best left tackle in this year’s class if he keeps adding strength and builds on his flashes of high-end pass protection plays.

26. Buffalo Bills — CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

The Bills have started reshaping their defense toward the scheme that new coordinator Jim Leonhard will run, but they’re still incredibly weak at linebacker. Allen isn’t the rangiest LB out there, but he’s smart and handled heavy responsibilities within Georgia’s defense right away as a true freshman. He would be a great fit in Leonhard’s defense and has the physicality and smarts that play well in a 3-4 defense. He would potentially be the stabilizing presence the Bills have been missing since Matt Milano was at the peak of his powers.

27. San Francisco 49ers — Blake Miller, OT, Clemson

Miller would be a steadying force whose athleticism, intelligence, and sheer reliability as a player would be a welcome long-term boost for the 49ers’ offensive line. The run on linemen could force the 49ers to move in a different direction, but Miller would be a good fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense and be a keystone player for him up front.

28. Houston Texans — Chase Bisontis, OL, Texas A&M

This may be a surprise pick, but Bisontis has first-round traits for days with the room to get stronger in a frame that already holds 315 pounds. He’s a smooth mover at guard and looks to have the movement skills to potentially play right tackle in a pinch … just like Tytus Howard, whom the Texans traded to the Browns this offseason. He’d have to fight for playing time with the recent additions of Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith, but neither of those players are long-term additions. Houston still needs to keep adding young building blocks and Bisonstis has a lot of talent.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Los Angeles Rams) — KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

The Chiefs get both perhaps the best defender in this year’s draft and also a twitchy and athletic skill player to continue to add more speed to their offense. Concepcion has inside and outside ability and can create with the ball in his hands, along with the ball skills and speed to stretch the field, too (even if his hands can be frustrating). He would open up the space and create big plays the Chiefs have desperately needed.

30. Miami Dolphins (via Denver Broncos) — Makai Lemon, WR, USC

The Dolphins use the pick they got from the Jaylen Waddle trade to replace Jaylen Waddle. Lemon isn’t nearly as dynamic as Waddle, but he profiles as a starting-caliber slot wide receiver. The Dolphins need to start rebuilding their wide receiver depth somewhere, so they might as well start here and see where the winds take them and their $179 million in dead cap.

31. New England Patriots — TJ Parker, Edge, Clemson

The run on offensive linemen (and wide receiver, really), on top of the whole A.J. Brown “thing,” has me thinking the Patriots look at adding the heavy-handed and hardworking Parker to their defense. Parker might not be the high-end pass rusher the Patriots really want to add, but he would help give them a bunch of strong and powerful defenders who can stifle run games and push the pocket on quarterbacks. It might be too “hat on a hat,” but there really is something about the stone-fisted Parker with the other group of brawny Patriots defensive linemen that I like the more I think about it.

32. Seattle Seahawks — Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

The Seahawks close out the final mock draft of the year by adding another tough defensive back to their defense. Tariq Woolen is off to Philadelphia and while they re-signed Josh Jobe to a small extension, adding another premium resource to that room is never a bad idea. Like his brother A.J. who plays for the Falcons, Avieon isn’t the most explosive athlete, but he’s physical with clean movement skills. He’s a great add for a secondary that already has someone like Devon Witherspoon and would be a clean fit in Mike Macdonald’s defense.