2026 NFL mock draft: 3-round projections after free agency

No one is even considering alternatives for Las Vegas. The Tyler Linderbaum signing supports the assumption that Fernando Mendoza will be the No. 1 overall selection, because a veteran center is a huge benefit for a young quarterback. The Raiders need a quarterback, and there’s a player worthy of that consideration.

I have gone back and forth on how the Jets may perceive this selection. Would Aaron Glenn want a player viewed more as a finished product (David Bailey) or one with potentially more upside (Arvell Reese)? Some of the signings in free agency take the pressure off Reese contributing immediately, which makes the upside play easier to justify.

Edge rusher is a premium position. Although the offensive line is more important, there’s not a prospect who warrants consideration at this spot. Arizona adds a ready-made pass rusher to a defense with a tremendous amount of young talent. The trick will be bringing out the best in that group.

Everyone has been quick to associate Rueben Bain Jr. with the Titans, but they did trade for Jermaine Johnson II. There’s still room for Bain, and that was considered here, but Sonny Styles is likely to be higher on the board. It’ll likely come down to a debate between positional value and best player available in the draft room. It’s easy to envision Styles as Robert Saleh’s Fred Warner.

New York had been in competition for top running back free agents Travis Etienne Jr. and Kenneth Walker III but missed out. That suggests the Giants planned to use the No. 5 overall pick on a position other than running back, but it also shows they were willing to make a steep investment in the position. Do they adjust their plans to add what could be the best player available, who would also be an asset to young quarterback Jaxson Dart?

Cleveland has filled three of its five starting offensive line positions, with left tackle and center presumably still unaddressed. No. 6 overall is a little too rich for any offensive lineman in this class, but the Browns have an opportunity to add a young prospect with a supreme athletic skill set at a premium position. They pick again at No. 24 overall and would be at the mercy of teams selecting ahead of them, so they get their pick of the litter at No. 6.

The Titans and Commanders picks are closely linked. If Sonny Styles had been available with Rueben Bain Jr. off the board, he would’ve been the choice. Given the opposite played out in this scenario, Washington adds Bain to a group that includes Dorance Armstrong, Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson. Jeremiyah Love would’ve been a consideration for this team as well.

New Orleans is the latest team to use premium resources to support a young quarterback. It signed Travis Etienne Jr. and offensive guard David Edwards in free agency and now pairs Chris Olave with Carnell Tate.

Kansas City is not often in a position to pick in the top 10. The Chiefs need to use that opportunity to add a player at a premium position: offensive line, edge rusher, etc. Jawaan Taylor was released, so the team needs a replacement. The Chiefs missed out on the top edge rushers but settle for offensive line help.

The Bengals signed Bryan Cook but still have a void at safety. They take the best player available as they continue to fill out their secondary. Cincinnati had a lot of missed open-field tackles last season, and the hope is that Caleb Downs cuts down on that total despite an 11.5% missed tackle rate in 2025, per TruMedia.

Jeff Hafley and the Dolphins have opted not to do a total rebuild; the Malik Willis signing was an example of that. They need to find some reliable pieces for the secondary considering they’re losing essentially everyone from last year’s team, including Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was traded to the Jets.

Jermod McCoy has the potential to be one of the best players to emerge from this draft class and certainly the top cornerback, but he was injured all season. Dallas signed safety Jalen Thompson and now has McCoy to pair with DaRon Bland. If Shavon Revel Jr. becomes the player the Cowboys had hoped, then maybe Bland moves back into the slot, where he began his career.

Looking at the board and the players who could make the biggest impact on a team pushing all its chips to the middle of the table in pursuit of a Super Bowl, Kenyon Sadiq stands out as the best option. Last year’s second-round selection of Terrance Ferguson, who was Sadiq’s teammate at Oregon, doesn’t preclude them from adding to the room.

Baltimore is back on the board at No. 14 overall after it had been involved in the trade for Maxx Crosby. The Ravens could move forward with recently signed John Simpson at right guard and returnee Andrew Vorhees at left guard, but Vega Ioane is a Raven if I’ve ever seen one. He brings stability for a head coach who wants to instill a physical brand of football.

Keldric Faulk is young but not productive, a description that has fit Travon Walker, Shemar Stewart, etc. Those players tend to be quality edge-setters at the very least, and the hope is they can expand their pass-rush profile. Tampa Bay needs help rushing the passer after getting shut out in free agency, and Faulk has the length the team covets.

New York is no stranger to investing first-round picks in the offensive line. One (Alijah Vera-Tucker) just walked out the door as his replacement (Spencer Fano) enters. Fano is a high-quality offensive lineman, even if there are concerns about his length to play offensive tackle. In this scenario, the Jets have bookend tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou at left and right tackle, respectively, with Fano at guard. Fano could also kick outside in a pinch.

Many are likely wondering why Blake Miller is the selection over Kadyn Proctor, Caleb Lomu and others. Miller is the choice to replace Taylor Decker because he’s an offensive tackle more in Dan Campbell’s image.

As Minnesota continues to turn the page on last season with a new quarterback and a new general manager, it’ll be looking to identify more difference-makers. Dillon Thieneman tested off the charts from an athletic perspective and has also been incredibly productive.

The 2025 season was a step in the right direction for the Panthers, but they haven’t been complacent in their newfound success. Carolina delivered one of the biggest splashes in free agency by signing Jaelan Phillips and has continued to build out the roster. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is another building block for that unit.

Another wide receiver may seem like overkill, but the team is being aggressive with the additions of Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary. Makai Lemon gives them another slot element and allows them to move some of the chess pieces around the board, but he also provides insurance and creates a potential off-ramp if CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens becomes too expensive.

By trading for Michael Pittman Jr., Pittsburgh alleviated some of the pressure to acquire another receiver. The Steelers don’t have many pressing needs in the present, but they’re an older team that should be looking to get younger. The hope is that CJ Allen and Payton Wilson can be the battery of the future.

Kayden McDonald at this stage may feel a little rich to some people, but he’s a perfect fit for Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers do a great job of uplifting the talent on the roster, but there are question marks moving forward now that Jesse Minter is no longer there to shepherd the unit. They can find blue-chip players to ensure it’s more than a mirage and create stability for that group.

There has been some dialogue about whether Kadyn Proctor would play guard or tackle in the NFL. The Eagles love that question, quite frankly, because versatility has always been an asset for them. Lane Johnson nearing the end of his career may lead them to identify some contingencies.

At one point, Jordyn Tyson was commonly linked to the Browns in the top 10. His brother, Jaylon Tyson, is a guard for the Cavaliers. Tyson wouldn’t be available this late in the first round if not for his injury history, and that could present an opportunity for the Browns, depending on how one looks at it.

Ben Johnson wants to be confident in the trio of receivers he has on the field at any given time. Luther Burden III really began to emerge toward the end of the season, but Chicago is leaving nothing to chance as it aims to prove last season was not an aberration. If you’re a Bears fan questioning why the team would draft another receiver, I’d encourage you to think about the possibilities with Johnson pulling the strings.

A.J. Epenesa is a free agent as of this writing, so the only edge rushers on the roster probably exempt from major roster decisions are Gregory Rousseau, newly signed Bradley Chubb and last year’s third-round pick, Landon Jackson. T.J. Parker has the profile they’ve been drawn to in the past. Perhaps he’ll allow them to get off the carousel of acquiring a new 30-year-old every offseason.

It seems as though the union between San Francisco and Trent Williams is coming to an end. Caleb Lomu would ideally have a season to learn from Williams but has the athleticism to thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s system.

Houston signed Braden Smith in free agency, but the sense seems to be that he’ll play guard. The Texans also have Trent Brown, who is well down the road in his career. Even if he holds off Max Iheanachor for a year, the time will eventually come when Brown retires, and the Texans would have a replacement in the building.

Kansas City traded Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles, which created a void in the secondary. The Chiefs have been able to take cornerbacks on Days 2 and 3 and turn them into quality players. The team drafted McDuffie in the first round, so there’s precedent for using a pick this early on the position, but it doesn’t believe in sinking large second contracts into those players. Kansas City addresses the position immediately but keeps its options open long term.

Denver had been searching for help at wide receiver prior to last year’s trade deadline. The Broncos fell short in their pursuit of Jaylen Waddle and others but now take matters into their own hands with the selection of KC Concepcion.

New England has been able to squeeze all the juice from the lemons it employs at edge rusher, but Zion Young is a hopeful building block for Mike Vrabel’s defense. K’Lavon Chaisson departed in free agency, so there’s a need to fill.

Akheem Mesidor is an older prospect who’ll be able to help the defending Super Bowl champions immediately. They allowed Boye Mafe to depart in free agency, but depth remains a strength in their efforts to repeat.