2026 NFL mock draft: Final hours bring late movement for Sonny Styles, Francis Mauigoa

No drama at No. 1 with Fernando Mendoza headed to Vegas, a pick that was all but locked in by the time the Seahawks lifted the Lombardi trophy in February.

There’s been a lot of back and forth on who this pick will be, and I’m going to stick with the more immediate answer in Bailey based on insider reports that people around the league believe that’s where the Jets will go.

With no trades in this mock, I’m going to back the smoke around Love to the Cardinals being real and move in that direction. It would be tough to pass on Reese for the running back, but many teams reportedly have Love as the No. 1 player in this class regardless of position.

Sonny Styles is catching a lot of steam to be this pick, but I don’t know that Robert Saleh and Co. can pass on Reese if he’s available at No. 4. The off-ball linebackers available on Day 2 will be good starters in this league, so I think the priority has to be the elite edge-rushing talent.

Tyson is the clear No. 1 receiver in this class if health isn’t a concern, so if he addressed those issues to the Giants’ satisfaction during his workout, I expect he’ll be the pick as neither of the top two receivers should be available at No. 10.

The Browns have prioritized versatility in their offensive line rebuild, and that continues with a prospect in Fano who could line up at tackle, guard or even center. Receiver has not been a point of emphasis at the top of drafts for the Browns, so I expect that if they can’t trade down, they’ll target someone for the offensive line.

Most think this is the floor for Styles, but we know that receiver is a huge need for Washington and they have the opportunity to land a great talent to learn under another Ohio State alum at receiver in Terry McLaurin. It’s close, but I see receiver as the move for Washington.

Many expect this pick to be a receiver, but with the top two off the board in the first seven picks, the Saints are probably left going the defensive route. That means they could prioritize edge rush with Rueben Bain if they’re comfortable with his measurables, but Styles would be perceived to be a great value at this point.

The Chiefs don’t have to go cornerback here, as there will be options late in the first round, and Caleb Downs would make a lot of sense here if they decide to go in that direction. But there’s been enough buzz for Delane heading to Kansas City that I’m going to take that path in this mock.

I think Downs is more of an option at No. 5 than most people, and I think his high football IQ and elite processing trait make him a key target for John Harbaugh. One of the reasons to go Tyson at No. 5 is that it seems unlikely both Styles and Downs come off the board in the next four picks, and the Giants land one here.

The Dolphins are at the start of their rebuild and just need as many good players as they can get, and they have a number of draft picks to try to make that happen. Bain represents a big swing for an elite difference-maker at the most important position on defense.

The Cowboys get shut out from Styles, Delane, Downs and Bain in succession, which might be reason to work out a trade up as high as No. 6. Of all their potential options, the one I see least likely at being available at No. 20 is Thieneman, who is expected to be taken one or two spots earlier.

Mauigoa’s slide stops here, with the Rams passing on a receiver, a position where they’ve struck gold later in the draft before, in order to grab many people’s top offensive lineman in the class. Alaric Jackson is the only starter on the line signed for 2027, and this gives them an option at right tackle or a guard spot long-term.

One of the most obvious fits of the first round is Ioane to the Ravens, and I think there’s an argument for him to go even higher, especially if teams truly are deprioritizing premium positions in this draft class. If he’s the best pure guard prospect since Quenton Nelson, why wouldn’t he go in the top 10 in this class?

The amount of smoke connecting Mesidor to the Bucs is unavoidable at this point, and while he’s well on the wrong side of the age curve at 25, he’s so talented that he doesn’t need much developing to be an effective starter on Day 1.

Lemon is a popular pick to go to the Rams, but if they land a better value in their spot, he could fall anywhere from a few picks to near the end of Round 1, depending on how locked in teams are on certain receiver prospects in this class. The Jets probably feel like they need a pass-catcher in Round 1, whether it’s a receiver or Kenyon Sadiq.

Even without trading up, the Lions are able to get their guy at No. 17 thanks to only one offensive lineman coming off the board in the top 12. Proctor should allow Penei Sewell to stay on the right side of the offensive line in Detroit.

Thieneman is a popular pick here but was taken by the Cowboys six picks ago, so the Vikings pivot to a different position. Hood is probably going ahead of Jermod McCoy at this point with the latter’s injury concerns, but if Minnesota’s staff signs off on his medicals, he’d be a nice value here.

The Panthers would probably love to have Thieneman themselves, and while they’ve talked about not ruling out receiver for a third straight Round 1, Sadiq brings another method of pass-game upgrade at a different position.

I can’t see the Cowboys just as a franchise having two top-20 picks and not using either on someone in the trenches, and the late-rising Lawrence gives them more upside at edge rusher than Keldric Faulk, who would be a great fit for Christian Parker’s defense.

The Steelers could be a team to snap up a receiver after only three went in the top 20, but the opportunity to get a potential franchise left tackle in Freeling can’t be ignored, especially after negative reports about Broderick Jones’ neck injury this week.

The question is whether the Chargers will bank on Faulk’s traits over his lack of production, and with their need at edge rusher I like that gamble as an option rather than some of the other options available at the position as well as the potential guard picks on the table.

While the Eagles are never shy about trading up, they seem to be in a great spot to address either receiver or offensive tackle here. With Cooper available later than expected, he’d be a great option to come in and start alongside DeVonta Smith, allowing recently acquired receivers to slot in more as depth.

There’s a lot of smoke around Concepcion to the Browns, so much so that I’d love to see what they’d do if both he and Cooper are still on the board here. Most expect them to exit the first round with an offensive lineman and a receiver in some order.

Edge rusher becomes a bit of “choose your fighter” late in the first round with several different archetypes available, but if Chicago doesn’t want to look purely run defense with a defensive tackle, they could opt for Parker as an edge who can give them a boost against the run while developing as a pass rusher as well.

The Bills have plenty of work to do as they rebuild the defense, and McNeil-Warren is a nice chess piece for the back end if they don’t like the flavor of edge rusher available and still consider this too early to go linebacker. This could also be the trade-up target for Arizona.

With the Trent Williams situation figured out, the 49ers can look for his eventual replacement a little later and prioritize the heir apparent to Mike Evans with Boston, another bigger receiver who would immediately make the passing game more dangerous.

Slotting an offensive lineman in for the Texans makes a ton of sense, as always, and Miller is a candidate to go much higher should the position be more of an emphasis for the teams picking in the back half of the first round. Caleb Lomu is also available if the team prefers a more natural fit on the left side.

The Chiefs could go offensive lineman at No. 9 as well, but I believe there will be some better options at this part of the draft than at cornerback, which they addressed earlier by taking Delane. Lomu could end up the starter on either side for the Chiefs long term.

The Dolphins took a swing earlier hoping Bain’s measurables won’t be a deterrent in the NFL, and they take another here hoping to get a top-of-the-draft talent if McCoy can overcome the negative medical reports. Again, Miami has a lot of picks after Round 1 to help mitigate the risk that comes with these selections.

Offensive line should be the priority for the Patriots but they can’t control what happens over the prior 30 picks. Whether they take a swing at tackle with Iheanachor or grab someone on the interior earlier than people expect, going O-line makes sense.

The Seahawks will certainly be hoping to trade down out of this pick and accumulate more quantity after entering the draft with just four selections, but Johnson makes sense to strengthen the cornerback room if they stick.