Christian Williams' 2026 NFL Mock Draft 3.0
Free agency changed everything. Here's how the first round could shake out next month.
With the majority of big-name free agents in their new landing spots, and the NFL Draft just over one month away, here’s how I could see the first three rounds shaking out.
The Raiders have had an excellent start to the offseason (despite the Maxx Crosby situation), and will put a stamp on it by selecting Mendoza. The team still needs to improve the pieces around him, but he will have a much smoother rookie year after the first few weeks of free agency.
Reese is a bet on traits, but they’re nothing to scoff at. The Jets hope Reese will follow Micah Parsons’s lead in his transition to a full-time edge rusher, though some time will be required for him to reach those heights.
Bailey is the more polished edge of the two already selected, and he has the speed, bend, and power to be an elite double-digit sack player for a team that struggled to get to the quarterback in 2025. While the Cardinals need to address a plethora of positional needs, they go for an impact position here inside the top three.
The Titans, like the Raiders, have had a remarkable start to the offseason, adding pieces that give them flexibility to swing on a low-value position, even inside the top five. They do that here with Love, who should enter the 2026 season as the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
While many expect John Harbaugh to get his version of Kyle Hamilton, the safety play in New York impressed me last year. Simultaneously, the team is currently set to start Darnell Mooney and Darius Slayton opposite Malik Nabers, and could desperately use a boost at that position, especially if their star takes additional time to recover from his knee injury.
Monroe Freeling is the hot pick here, but I’d argue the Browns have needs at both tackle positions (despite the Tytus Howard acquisition), and Mauigoa is the better player. While they could absolutely go wideout here, it’s harder to envision that with Tate coming off the board one pick ahead of them.
The Commanders, on paper, are significantly better than they were in 2025. They’ve added pieces at key positions of need, and that gives them the freedom to take arguably the best player in this draft, regardless of position. Styles is one of the best linebacker prospects I’ve ever scouted, and would immediately elevate the floor and ceiling of the Commanders’ defense.
The Saints typically draft freaks, but Bain is simply too talented to pass up here, despite his Tyrannosaurus Rex arms. They could definitely turn to a cornerback here, but they need to build their line back up if they expect to compete in 2026.
The Chiefs should just be in “good player acquisition” mode while Patrick Mahomes works his way back from injury, and Downs is the perfect fit for that description. They’re currently set to start Chamarri Conner and Alohi Gilman at their two safety spots, so this also fills a gaping hole.
Trade details: LAR sends No. 13, No. 93, and No. 207 to CIN for No. 10 and No. 226.
The Rams move up for what many believe is the No. 1 tackle prospect in the class. With Alaric Jackson and Warren McClendon Jr. starting, and Jackson holding a guaranteed salary of $0 past 2026, this could be the last opportunity for the Rams to move up and get what they believe is a blue-chip prospect.
The Dolphins need to bolster their offensive line, and with new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan coming over from Green Bay, a perennially great offensive line factory, I expect they’ll attack it with their first 1st-round pick. Vega Ioane may only be a guard, but he has the potential to be one of the league’s best.
The Cowboys filled a few needs in free agency, but they still have a hole at cornerback, and with their pick of the litter here, it’s an easy decision. Delane’s elite instincts and burst out of his stance make him an excellent fit in Dallas, but his ability to play a variety of coverages gives him an edge over what Cowboys fans have become accustomed to over the last few years.
The Bengals need to keep adding to their defense, and McCoy is a perfect fit in Al Golden’s man-heavy scheme. McCoy missed the 2025 season with an injury, but he showed his elite coverage skills in 2024; enough of them to keep him inside the top-15.
While the Ravens need a wideout, they desperately need to infuse their interior offensive line with talent. Fano took reps at center at the NFL Combine, and he’d slot in as an excellent replacement for Tyler Linderbaum.
Trade details: PIT sends No. 21, No. 85, and a 2027 third-round pick to TB for No. 15.
While there’s still a large debate about this quarterback class, I expect two will hear their names called in the first round of next month’s draft. Simpson, when healthy, showed off high-IQ, fantastic upside, and the floor of a mid-tier starter in the NFL. Pittsburgh can make that work, even if this is in the scary Kenny Pickett area of the draft.
While the Jets should still be in the mix for Simpson, they settle for a better player in Lemon here. While much has been made of Lemon’s strange NFL Combine and “slow” 40-yard dash time, he’s a smooth, reliable wide receiver who serves as the perfect No. 2 to Garrett Wilson’s No. 1.
While the Lions could be more intrigued by one of the other tackles, keeping Penei Sewell at right tackle this late in his career makes more sense. Proctor’s ceiling should give the team enough confidence in his ability to replace Taylor Decker, even if it may be a rocky rookie season for a player still in need of development.
While the Vikings could go for a safety or cornerback here, they instead choose to add a versatile defensive line piece to help Brian Flores run his exotic fronts and confuse opposing quarterbacks. Faulk is more of a defensive tackle, in my book, but he fits anywhere on the line.
Sadiq had one of the best NFL Combines of anyone in the draft, and he would give Bryce Young another explosive piece to elevate an already efficient offense. A wideout with a different skill set makes sense, but Sadiq can be that and more for a team more ready to compete than most give them credit for.
Thieneman is shooting up boards after an elite showing at the NFL Combine, but the film should’ve had him there in the first place. He plays like a 6’5, 250-pound safety with speed, despite sitting at just 6’0, 201, and his explosiveness and hard-hitting nature put him in a tier just below Caleb Downs.
After trading down, the Bucs select the player most believe they’ll take at 15. Mesidor is old, but the Bucs should be in go-mode in an attempt to get back to division titles and potential Super Bowl runs. Outside of his age, it’s hard to pick nits with his skill set.
A three-safety first round feels inevitable at this moment, mostly because all three of the safeties selected would be in conversation for SAF1 if they weren’t in the same class. RJ Mickens and Elijah Molden played well for Los Angeles last year, but McNeil-Warren gives them a higher ceiling in coverage.
Lane Johnson is 150 years old, and snagging a player juiced with potential, albeit a tad raw, to learn under him for a year or two is something most draft analysts have expected for the last two years. This tackle class grants them an opportunity to do that, as Iheanachor is an elite athlete with an excellent starting point in pass protection.
The Browns stay at 24 and end up reuniting the Tyson brothers in Cleveland after all. Tyson has injury and effort questions, but he’d immediately be the most talented pass catcher in Cleveland.
The Bears have had a remarkable offseason, landing a day-two pick for DJ Moore, filling needs (especially at safety), and improving their chances of repeating as NFC North champions. Here, they take a high-upside edge rusher. If Young hadn’t had a DUI a couple of months ago, he’d have been in every first-round mock over that time period.
McDonald is a hard player to project, as his skill set suggests he should be among the top defensive linemen in the class, but his pass-rush skill set is still developing, and that often holds less value in the eyes of NFL teams. Still, the Bills had a significant run defense problem in 2025, and adding McDonald into the rotation of Ed Oliver, Deone Walker, and T.J. Sanders as down defensive linemen could help remedy that.
While Lomu has a long way to go, he fits the same mold as Iheanachor here: a player expected to sit on the bench and learn behind one of the league’s best players. Lomu has all the tools to be an excellent left tackle, but he hasn’t quite put it all together yet. He’s not yet 22 years old, though, and the 49ers would be wise to add to a room that is constantly hit with the San Francisco Injury Bug.
The run on offensive tackles continues here, with Miller pushing Braden Smith inside and solidifying a fairly putrid offensive line. The Texans need defensive line help, but their offense should be top of mind in the first round this year.
Trade details: LV sends No. 36 and No. 102 to KC for No. 29.
After trading with their rivals, the Raiders give Mendoza one of his favorite targets, pairing the star duo at the NFL level to hopefully continue the success they found at Indiana. Cooper is a Chris Godwin-esque player and could create easier yard-gaining opportunities for Mendoza.
Trade details: TEN sends No. 35 and No. 142 to MIA for No. 30 and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
The Titans did a lot this offseason, and I don’t expect them to stop making waves to attempt to win the AFC South in 2026. Hood just turned 21 last month, is an elite athlete, and is in a similar mold to Max Hairston from last year. He can be a bit jumpy on routes, but he could develop into an elite, top-tier cornerback.
Trade details: PHI sends A.J. Brown to NE for No. 31, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2028 fourth-round pick.
The A.J. Brown saga ends with a trade to the Patriots to give Drake Maye a real No. 1 wideout. The Eagles replace him with KC Concepcion, an incredibly talented wideout, when he catches the football consistently. If he works on his hands, he has the potential to be the best wideout in this class. Howie strikes again.
The Seahawks pass on cornerback and running back and instead bolster their defensive front with Howell, a bendy, explosive edge rusher with short arms.
