This one has been locked in for months. The Raiders, who went 3-14 in 2025 under Pete Carroll, enter a new era under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak. The organization already moved to set the table for their franchise quarterback, signing Kirk Cousins to serve as a bridge while Mendoza develops, and acquiring center Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81 million deal to help protect him. They also traded Geno Smith to the Jets.

Mendoza is a different story altogether. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound signal caller won the 2025 Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award, and the Davey O'Brien Award after transferring from California to Indiana, where he led the Hoosiers to a national championship. He threw 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions across 16 games, posted a 90.3 QBR that led the nation, and completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards. Scouts note that his eye manipulation needs development and that his improvisation outside of structure is not as refined as his Cal tape suggested, but the floor is a legitimate starting quarterback and the ceiling, in Kubiak's system, is enormous. Looking back, both Raiders fans and NFL fans will agree, tonight began the Mendoza era in Las Vegas.

Ceiling: Matt Ryan | Floor: Paxton Lynch

The Jets finished 31st in sacks last season with 26 and compounded the problem by trading Jermaine Johnson to the Titans in the offseason. New GM Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn are building with urgency, and there is no more urgent need on this roster than a true pass rusher. Arvell Reese is the answer, and at this range he may be the best value in the entire draft.

The 6-foot-4, 241-pound Ohio State linebacker and edge hybrid from Cleveland's Glenville High School won Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and earned consensus All-American honors in 2025 after posting 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks while splitting snaps evenly between the defensive line and the box. His 4.46-second combine time is elite for a player his size, and he brings a physical profile, rare strength, explosive lateral range, and the ability to dominate both the run game and the pass rush that had evaluators drawing Micah Parsons comparisons throughout the pre-draft process. He declared at the combine that he sees himself as an NFL edge rusher. Glenn's defense gives him the ideal environment to be deployed with that versatility in mind. The Jets get their cornerstone.

Ceiling: Micah Parsons | Floor: Jamie Collins

This is the hardest pick in the draft to project. Arizona enters the spring without a franchise quarterback after releasing Kyler Murray in a move that drew league-wide bewilderment given they could have traded him for draft capital and new head coach Mike LaFleur, the former Rams offensive coordinator, has acknowledged the team will likely need to address the position eventually. But after a 3-14 finish and with a depleted roster on both sides of the ball, LaFleur and GM Monti Ossenfort make the pragmatic call to take the best player available: Rueben Bain Jr. Bain, a 6-foot-2, 263-pound edge rusher from Miami.

He earned ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman in 2023 with 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. A calf injury limited him in 2024, but he returned in 2025 to post career-high numbers and cement himself as one of the most feared pass rushers in the country, finishing with 19.5 career sacks across 37 games. His arm length—in the bottom one percent of edge defenders—will follow him into every draft room and become the most-discussed anatomical fact of this entire draft. You will hear on draft night that no pass rusher with arms his size has had a double-digit sack season in over 20 years. But his power, leverage, twitchiness and finishing ability have evaluators drawing Dwight Freeney and Brandon Graham comparisons. While they miss out on a franchise QB who went first overall, they get the most physically disruptive player in this draft.

Ceiling: Dwight Freeney | Floor: Chris Long

Tennessee GM Mike Borgonzi spent the offseason trying to give second-year quarterback Cam Ward the supporting cast he needs to develop, but free agency did not deliver the explosive playmaker the offense requires. The running back room is uninspiring. The wide receiver corps lacks a genuine threat after the position. Love is the obvious answer to the question the Titans' offense has been asking all year. Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is, quite simply, the most electric player in this draft class not named Fernando Mendoza.

A 6-foot, 214-pound back from St. Louis who won a state championship in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore in high school, Love rushed for 2,882 career yards at 6.7 yards per carry with 36 rushing touchdowns and added 63 receptions for 594 yards and six more scores across 41 college games. In 2025, he averaged 114.3 rushing yards per game (a jump of 44 yards per game from his already-strong 2024 output), won the Doak Walker Award, and became a Heisman finalist. His 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the combine matched Jahmyr Gibbs despite Love carrying more weight. His 98-yard touchdown run against Indiana in the 2024 CFP remains one of the most jaw-dropping plays in playoff history. Critics note that his pass protection technique is still developing and that his 214-pound frame raises durability questions at 20-plus professional touches per game. But the trend of running backs falling into the second round has begun reversing for exactly this type of prospect—one who never has to leave the field, can align in the slot, and forces defensive coordinators into pre-snap panic. Love will Cam Ward's new best friend.

Ceiling: Bijan Robinson | Floor: Tevin Coleman

The Giants' new head coach John Harbaugh brings a specific defensive philosophy that requires a communicator and leader at the middle linebacker position. Harbaugh's Ravens defenses were built around exactly that: a physically dominant, intellectually advanced linebacker who could process information at the speed of the game and impose his will on offense from the middle of the field. The son of former Ohio State and Rams linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr., Sonny arrived in Columbus as a five-star safety recruit in 2022 before transitioning to linebacker full-time in 2024.

The results were immediate, helping Ohio State win the national championship. In 2025, he led the Buckeyes in total tackles, missed just one all season on nearly 700 defensive snaps, and earned first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors. At 6-foot-5, 243 pounds with a 4.46-second 40, Styles was the most tested and decorated linebacker at the NFL Combine since Devin White went fifth overall to Tampa Bay in 2019. He will be the first off-ball linebacker drafted in the top ten picks since that selection. His coverage ability, averaging just 6.3 yards per reception allowed in 2025, is a weapon.

Ceiling: Fred Warner | Floor: Anthony Barr

The Browns have cycled through 42 starting quarterbacks since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999. Whatever version of their quarterback room emerges from the Shedeur Sanders-Dillon Gabriel-Deshaun Watson competition this offseason, the non-negotiable reality is that Cleveland's offensive line needs a cornerstone. New head coach Todd Monken, the offensive architect who transformed Georgia's passing attack, cannot run a professional passing offense without a capable protector up front.

Francis Mauigoa is the consensus top offensive lineman in this class. The 6-foot-5, 329-pound right tackle from American Samoa started every game for Miami across three seasons, earned first-team All-American and ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy honors in 2025, and allowed zero sacks and just five pressures on 118 postseason pass-block snaps during Miami's CFP run. His combination of power, anchor, and football IQ draws Penei Sewell comparisons. Evaluators debate whether his best position ultimately is at guard rather than tackle given his mobility limitations against speed rushers, but that is a champagne problem. He starts immediately, provides a decade-plus of reliable protection, and gives Cleveland's struggling offense something it has desperately lacked: a credible, durable presence at the most important position on the offensive line.

Ceiling: Penei Sewell | Floor: Ereck Flowers

Washington's defensive line was decimated by injuries in 2025. Starting defensive ends Deatrich Wise Jr. and Javontae Jean-Baptiste both went down in the first month of the season. By midseason the Commanders were leaning on Von Miller and Preston Smith, both in their mid-30s, for the bulk of their pass-rush snaps. GM Adam Peters needs a true foundational piece off the edge, and David Bailey is that player.

The Texas Tech product tied for the FBS lead in sacks with 14.5 in 2025, ranked second nationally with 71 pressures, and posted a 20.2 percent pressure rate, which was first in the country. At 6-foot-4 and 258 pounds, he plays with a wicked first step, advanced hand technique, and a motor that does not quit late in games. He drew visits from multiple teams throughout the pre-draft process, a testament to how broadly coveted his skill set is. The Commanders get a foundational edge rusher who can be a face of their defensive rebuild for the next decade.

Ceiling: Brian Burns | Floor: Vic Beasley

The Saints said farewell to several defensive pillars this offseason: Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, and Alontae Taylor will all likely be elsewhere in 2026, but the most pressing addition for second-year quarterback Tyler Shough is a genuine receiving weapon. The No. 2 wideout on the current depth chart is Devaughn Vele, who caught 25 passes in 2025. That is not a sustainable situation for a franchise trying to build around a developing young quarterback.

Carnell Tate gives New Orleans the legitimate No. 1 target Shough needs. The Chicago native caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025, his best statistical season at Ohio State, despite playing alongside Jeremiah Smith and missing three games with a calf injury. His hands are elite, ranking in the 94th percentile by size among receivers at the combine. His route-running is refined and technically advanced, a product of Ohio State's WRU pipeline. His 4.53-second combine time generated skepticism, but the tape plays consistently faster than the number. Tate is polished, professional, and ready to be a starter from Week 1. He slots in alongside Chris Olave and immediately makes the Saints' offense harder to defend.

Ceiling: CeeDee Lamb | Floor: Donovan Peoples-Jones

The Chiefs are picking in the top ten for the first time since 2017, when they selected Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City's 2025 season was derailed when Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, and the team enters the 2026 draft with an eye on building around him for his return. One clear area of need is the cornerback position. The Chiefs traded Trent McDuffie to the Rams during the offseason, creating an immediate void on the outside. Mansoor Delane fills it. The LSU cornerback allowed a 31.3 passer rating when targeted in 2025, among the lowest in the country, and is viewed by multiple analysts as the top corner in this draft class. His combination of length, physicality at the line, and ball production gives Kansas City a boundary corner who can match up with the AFC's elite receivers as soon as Week 1. GM Brett Veach has built the Chiefs dynasty through smart, precise draft-and-develop decisions. This is another one.

Ceiling: Charvarius Ward | Floor: Ahkello Witherspoon

Caleb Downs is one of those rare players whose tape justifies taking him almost anywhere in the first round. The Ohio State safety earned the highest safety grade and is described by Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as the smartest player who will be on whichever team drafts him. Over three seasons in college football, Downs developed into a complete three-down safety with exceptional range, tackling reliability, and coverage versatility. He can function in the box, deep as a center fielder, or as a linebacker-hybrid depending on the personnel package. The Bengals have Joe Burrow's offense humming, but their defense has consistently underperformed relative to the talent on the other side of the ball. Downs gives Cincinnati a defensive centerpiece they can build around for years to come.

Ceiling: Eric Berry | Floor: Budda Baker

The Dolphins enter this draft in full organizational reset mode. Tua Tagovailoa left for Atlanta, Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded, and a new GM in Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach in Jeff Hafley are building from scratch around quarterback Malik Willis. Miami holds seven picks in the first three rounds, one of the most extraordinary early-round assets in recent NFL history.

The most urgent offensive priority is establishing a legitimate receiving threat at the top of the depth chart. Jordyn Tyson, the Arizona State wide receiver ranked 21st on NFL.com's top-50 prospect list, is an explosive playmaker with elite separation ability and the big-play instincts that Hafley's system rewards. After posting 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, Tyson followed with another strong season and enters the draft as one of the most dynamic receivers available. Pairing him with Willis gives Miami a weapon capable of flipping games at any moment.

Ceiling: Calvin Ridley | Floor: Tyler Boyd

Dallas holds this pick from the Packers trade and uses it on a cornerback who, in a healthy world, might have been a top-five selection. Jermod McCoy is the most talented corner in this class, a 6-foot-1, 188-pound athlete from Whitehouse, Texas, who was a state champion in the long jump and triple jump, played both ways in high school, and developed into one of the most ball-productive corners in the SEC. After starting his career at Oregon State, he transferred to Tennessee for the 2024 season and immediately became one of the nation's elite coverage defenders: 44 tackles, 13 passes defended, and four interceptions (three of them inside the opponent's three-yard line) while allowing just one touchdown in 640 snaps.

He was named a second-team All-American and was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist. The problem is the caveat that will follow him on every draft card: McCoy tore his ACL during the 2025 offseason and did not play a single snap this past season. He will be fully healthy by the time his rookie year begins, and his pro day drew strong reviews. For a Dallas team that gave up 54 plays of 25-plus yards in 2025…the most in the NFL, McCoy's ball-hawking ability and CB1 upside are worth the medical risk at pick 12.

Ceiling: Stephon Gilmore | Floor: Ronald Darby Jr.

The Rams hold the Falcons' original 13th pick from a trade made during the 2025 season and use it to invest in Matthew Stafford's protection. Stafford, coming off his 2025 MVP campaign, is back in Los Angeles for what figures to be the later stages of his career, and Sean McVay is maximizing every remaining year of that window.

Caleb Lomu, the 6-foot-6, 313-pound Utah left tackle who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025, is a developmental starter with excellent movement skills and natural feel as a pass protector that projects toward becoming a quality NFL left tackle. He is better in pass protection than he is as a run blocker at this stage of his career, a gap evaluators believe will close with NFL coaching and continued development. Lomu was just 21 years old entering this draft and has significant upside remaining. The Rams get a long-term anchor who can develop alongside Stafford and then carry the line into the post-Stafford era.

Ceiling: Kolton Miller | Floor: Andre Dillard

The Ravens' pick 14 stayed in Baltimore after they backed out of a proposed Maxx Crosby trade over medical concerns. Nnamdi Madubuike missed significant time in 2025 with a neck injury, and the defensive line still needs attention, even after the signing of Trey Hendrickson, but the most compelling value at this slot is on offense.

Lamar Jackson's passing efficiency has always correlated with the quality of weapons around him, and the Ravens need a legitimate perimeter receiver to complement Zay Flowers. Makai Lemon, who won the 2025 Biletnikoff Award as college football's top receiver and posted 1,156 receiving yards over 12 games at USC, is an elite separation artist with explosive after-the-catch ability and a fierceness to his game that belies his 5-foot-11 frame. He plays bigger than his measurements and would give Jackson a deep threat who can turn short completions into long gains.

Ceiling: Amon-Ra St. Brown | Floor: Josh Downs

The Buccaneers' offense under Todd Bowles has historically relied on tight end as a central component, and the position needs new investment. Kenyon Sadiq, who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine, reportedly the fastest time for a tight end since at least 2003, is the most athletic tight end prospect in this class and one of the most dynamic players at any position.

He caught 51 passes for Oregon in 2025 with eight touchdowns, operated as a true mismatch weapon against linebackers and safeties alike, and brings the receiving ability and athleticism to be a primary target in Baker Mayfield's offense from Day 1.

Ceiling: Kyle Pitts | Floor: Irv Smith Jr.

The Jets, having already addressed the edge with Arvell Reese at pick two, use their second first-round pick — acquired in the trade that sent the Colts' selection to New York to double down on the pass-rush room. Keldric Faulk, the Auburn edge rusher is a 6-foot-5, 285-pound pass rusher who can win from multiple alignments and brings reliable run-defense ability alongside his pass-rush upside. Pairing Faulk and Reese on the same defensive front gives Aaron Glenn one of the youngest and most physically talented edge groups in the conference. Faulk still needs to expand his pass-rush repertoire, but the size, athleticism, and motor are legitimate. The Jets get their edge rushers of the future in the first round.

Ceiling: Cam Jordan | Floor: Sam Hubbard

Detroit's offensive line has powered consecutive deep playoff runs and remains one of the best units in the league. But Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell plan ahead, and Kadyn Proctor represents exactly that kind of future-oriented investment. Proctor is as physically imposing as any offensive lineman in this class, a massive frame with rare length that makes him a legitimate people mover when rolling downhill. His knock-back pop on contact is violent, his down blocks and double teams can erase gaps entirely, and power rushers running straight at him are largely wasting their time. He settles into pass reps with good hand timing and has the strength to lock in and dominate defenders once he makes contact.

The concerns are real, though. He can be cross-faced by slants and short-area movement, and he is indecisive when a defender isn't aligned directly in front of him. He does too much catching and not enough punching, his pass-set range is limited enough to constrain the quarterback's drop depth, and he has struggled to stay mirrored against inside counters. His playing weight needs to stabilize before his balance and quickness can be fully trusted at the next level. The most likely outcome is a very good guard or a capable right tackle, not a blindside anchor. For Detroit, that is a champagne problem. He starts immediately in a system built to maximize exactly his kind of power and gives the Lions the depth and continuity their line needs as its veterans age.

Ceiling: Orlando Brown Jr. | Floor: Donovan Smith

Harrison Smith's retirement leaves a hole at the center of Brian Flores' defense that cannot be filled by committee. Smith was the anchor of the secondary for over a decade, a communicator, a quarterback of the back end, the player who disguised coverages and processed information faster than offenses could exploit it. The Vikings need someone who can inherit that role, not merely fill a roster spot. Dillon Thieneman is the most credible answer available in this draft.

What Thieneman offers, above everything else, is football intelligence. He is an extension of his defensive coordinator on the field, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts, diagnosing route concepts in zone coverage, and rarely losing his eyes on the quarterback for extended periods. The limitations are genuine. His man coverage begins to show cracks as routes develop, his short-area change of direction is only average, and he is not a thumper — bigger ball-carriers will test his stopping power near the line. His NFL comparison is Jevon Holland, which captures both the ceiling and the profile: a savvy, versatile safety whose value comes from processing and positioning rather than physicality. But for a team that just lost its defensive quarterback, Thieneman's instincts, range, and alignment versatility make him the right player at the right time. Flores gets the secondary communicator his system demands.

Ceiling: Justin Simmons | Floor: Anthony Harris

Bryce Young has not had adequate protection across his first two professional seasons, and the Panthers' offensive line has been a persistent problem. Monroe Freeling has become one of the most polarizing prospects in this class, a player whose stock has climbed so sharply that several prominent evaluators, including Mel Kiper Jr., have him as high as No. 6 overall, which could make him OT1 or OT2 on many NFL teams' boards. Many analysts disagree and would make him a genuine reach at 19, but Carolina's need may force their hand. His athletic profile is nearly unprecedented at the position: a 99.99 Relative Athletic Score ranking second among over 1,500 offensive tackles since 1987, with 34¾-inch arms, elite quickness, and movement skills that held up against elite SEC pass rushers and carried over cleanly to the combine.

The risk is legitimate: with just one year of full-time starting experience, his tape includes real lows alongside the highlights: a tendency to lunge, lose leverage, and play too tall through contact. Run blocking remains the weaker half of his game, and he will need to add functional weight to anchor consistently against NFL power. But his pass protection is already a plus-plus skill, his improvement arc across 2025 was one of the more compelling in the class, and evaluators who pushed back early have largely come around. Carolina makes the offensive line investment that Young's development demands and bets the ceiling justifies the gamble.

Ceiling: Terron Armstead | Floor: Greg Little

Dallas holds its second first-round pick from the Packers trade and uses it to add a pass rusher. Akheem Mesidor, Rueben Bain Jr.'s teammate at Miami (FL), ranked fifth overall among edge defenders in with a grade of 7.8, ahead of both T.J. Parker and Keldric Faulk in that evaluation. At 6-foot-2 and 281 pounds, Mesidor is an undersized but explosive interior/edge rusher with a high motor and consistent backfield production at a program loaded with NFL talent. He gives the Cowboys' defensive line a young, disruptive presence who fits alongside the veterans already in place.

Ceiling: Yannick Ngakoue | Floor: Taco Charlton

Pittsburgh is under new head coach Mike McCarthy, who replaced Mike Tomlin this offseason, and the Steelers are working through what comes after the Aaron Rodgers era at quarterback. Whatever the answer is under center, the offensive interior needs investment. Olaivavega Ioane, the Penn State guard who protected the quarterback in one of the Big Ten's most competitive environments, is a powerful, technically sound interior blocker who can start immediately at left or right guard. With Michael Pittman Jr. now in the building via trade and Rico Dowdle added at running back, Pittsburgh's offense needs the kind of interior push that Ioane can provide.

Ceiling: Brandon Scherff | Floor: Laken Tomlinson

Jim Harbaugh's defense has improved steadily in Los Angeles, but interior pass-rush production remains an area of need. Peter Woods, ranked first overall among defensive tackles in Bleacher Report's post-combine evaluation with a grade of 8.2, is an explosive pocket collapser at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds who can penetrate the backfield from multiple alignments. His 2025 sack numbers (two) were lower than expected after a stronger 2024 campaign, but the athletic profile and disruption ability were never in question. Woods gives the Chargers a legitimate interior anchor and the best run-stopper among defensive tackle prospects in this class.

Ceiling: Ed Oliver | Floor: B.J. Hill

Howie Roseman's greatest strength is anticipating needs before they become crises. Lane Johnson is 36 years old and entering what could be his final professional season. Spencer Fano is the Outland Trophy winner, a unanimous All-American, and the consensus top offensive lineman in this class by most evaluations. He’s a three-year starter who played both tackle spots at Utah and logged 35 career starts with the technical polish to show for it. He led all offensive linemen in the three-cone drill at the combine, and his footwork, hand placement, and recovery ability against speed rushers give evaluators genuine confidence in his pass protection translating immediately.

The primary debate around Fano is not whether he can play, but where, his arm length, which measured below the typical tackle threshold at the combine before jumping nearly a full inch at Utah's pro day, has prompted real discussion about whether his long-term home is at right tackle, guard, or even center, a position teams asked him to demonstrate in Indianapolis. That versatility cuts both ways: it introduces uncertainty, but it also gives Roseman roster-building options that few other prospects in this class can offer. Philadelphia gets the right tackle of the future and an insurance policy on one of the best offensive lines in football.

Ceiling: Mike McGlinchey | Floor: Tytus Howard

Cleveland holds this pick from the Jaguars trade and uses it to address a receiving corps that ranked last in the NFL with just 1,467 receiving yards from wide receivers in 2025. Concepcion won the Paul Hornung Award for versatility and was a first-team All-American after posting 61 receptions for 919 yards and nine touchdowns at Texas A&M, a 15.1-yard-per-catch average that also understates what he contributes as a returner, having added two punt return touchdowns in 2025 alone. He began his college career at NC State, where he earned ACC Rookie of the Year as a true freshman, and the transfer to Texas A&M only sharpened his profile.

Evaluators are split on where he lines up permanently. He has taken snaps both in the slot and on the boundary, and at 6-foot, 196 pounds, some teams project him primarily inside. But the consensus on his playmaking ability is not really in dispute. He creates separation with crisp route running, tracks the ball cleanly downfield, and forces missed tackles at a rate that turns routine completions into chunk gains. The legitimate concern is drops, with a 10.3 percent drop rate across his college career, and the lack of true game-breaking long speed limits how much he can threaten defenses vertically as a standalone option. Most evaluators have him in the late first-round range, and some have him as high as WR2 in the class. Whatever quarterback Cleveland runs out in 2026, Concepcion gives them a legitimate weapon they have not had in years.

Ceiling: Jayden Reed | Floor: Kadarius Toney

Chicago's defensive front has improved, but interior depth and run-stopping at the nose remain areas of concern. Kayden McDonald is widely regarded as one of the top interior defenders in this class, a 6-foot-2, 326-pound nose tackle who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and the anchor of Ohio State's championship defense in 2025. He recorded 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles in his breakout season.

His calling card is run defense. He plays with natural leverage, fires off the ball low and hard, and consistently drives solo blockers into the backfield while holding up against double teams in a way that frees linebackers to flow freely to the ball. His ability to align at multiple interior techniques, from 0 to 3, gives Chicago real schematic flexibility. The concerns are real: his arm length is shorter than most teams prefer at the position, his hand technique still needs refinement, and his pass-rush repertoire beyond a power bull is limited. He was also working with under 700 career defensive snaps coming out of Columbus, so there is genuine developmental work ahead. But his run-stopping production is NFL-ready, and for a Bears defense that needs an interior anchor it can trust on early downs, McDonald fills that role.

Ceiling: D.J. Reader | Floor: Danny Shelton

Buffalo traded its second-round pick to Chicago for DJ Moore this offseason, but the receiver room beyond Moore and Khalil Shakir still has real questions. Keon Coleman was effectively thrown under the bus by owner Terry Pegula at the press conference announcing Sean McDermott's firing, when Pegula declared the coaching staff had pushed to draft Coleman and implied Beane went along reluctantly. Coleman is still on the roster, and new head coach Joe Brady has publicly backed him, but the relationship between the organization and its 2024 second-round pick remains strained and unresolved. Joshua Palmer disappointed in his first season with the team, and the Bills have not had a consistent second option outside of Shakir since parting ways with Diggs after the 2023 season.

Cooper was Indiana's leading receiver on a national championship team in 2025, finishing with 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns in a pro-style offense built on timing, precision, and route discipline. His 4.2 percent career drop rate across three seasons reflects genuine reliability, and his contact balance after the catch consistently stands out in evaluator film sessions. He forced 27 missed tackles in 2025, tied for fourth among all FBS receivers. The concerns are real: he does not have elite speed, his contested-catch ability is inconsistent, and he spent the bulk of his college snaps in the slot, which raises questions about his ceiling as a true outside receiver. His route running is technical and deliberate, his football IQ showed up repeatedly in how he manipulated zone coverages, and his familiarity with professional offensive concepts gives him an accelerated path to contributing. For a Bills team that needs a younger, developing playmaker to grow alongside Moore, Cooper fits the profile.

Ceiling: Rashee Rice | Floor: Allen Lazard

Trent Williams remains one of the best left tackles in football, earning a 91.1 PFF grade in 2025 at age 37, but he turns 38 before the 2026 season, is in the middle of a contract dispute, and the 49ers have been reported as open to trading him if negotiations stall. Whether or not Williams is back, San Francisco needs a succession plan at the most critical position on their offensive line, and this pick starts that process. Blake Miller is the most experienced lineman in this class, having broken Clemson's record for career offensive snaps with 3,778 across 54 consecutive starts over four seasons. 

His pass protection sharpened every year in that run, and his stunt and twist recognition is the kind of processing that typically takes NFL linemen years to develop. He is 6-foot-7 with 34 and one-quarter-inch arms, posted the best size-adjusted athleticism among tackles at the combine, and plays with the durability and effort of a program cornerstone. The legitimate concerns are his run-blocking, where his pad level stays too high and his ability to move defenders at the point of attack has yet to consistently translate, and his left tackle experience is limited to two emergency starts. Most evaluators project him primarily as a right tackle at the NFL level. San Francisco has Colton McKivitz locked in on the right side, which creates a development question, but a Kyle Shanahan offense will find ways to use an athlete this polished. Williams gives them a window; Miller is what comes next.

Ceiling: Rob Havenstein | Floor: James Hudson

After trading up four spots and giving up meaningful draft capital, this is why. Ty Simpson, son of UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson, spent four years developing behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe at Alabama before taking over the Crimson Tide in 2025. What he produced in the first nine games of the season made scouts sit up: a 66.8 percent completion rate, 21 touchdowns, and just one interception. He finished the year with 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions before a cascade of injuries compressed his production down the stretch.

Ball security also became a real concern under pressure, with fumbles in five consecutive games once defenses began scheming against him. His combine and pro day both generated genuine buzz. At 6-foot-1 and around 210 pounds, Simpson is a mechanically precise, high-IQ quarterback who processes quickly, plays on time, trusts his reads, and operates with the instincts of someone who grew up inside a football program. The concerns are not minor: he is a one-year starter, his frame is on the lean side for NFL punishment, and late-season defenses exposed real tendencies once sufficient film accumulated. But at pick 28, not pick three, the cost of the bet is manageable.

Ceiling: Brock Purdy | Floor: Taylor Heinicke

The Chiefs hold this pick from the Rams, acquired when Kansas City traded Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles earlier in the offseason. With Mahomes recovering from his torn ACL and the team in roster maintenance mode, Kansas City adds a young edge rusher to develop alongside the veterans already in place. T.J. Parker is a power-first, technically refined edge defender who closed his Clemson career tenth all-time in program sacks with 21.5, and who evaluators consistently describe as one of the better run defenders in this entire class.

He wins with long arms, a violent punch, and the ability to stack and shed blockers at the point of attack in ways that force offensive coordinators to respect him on every down. The legitimate concerns are real and well-documented: he lacks elite bend, his first step is not explosive, and he does not have the second move needed to consistently beat NFL tackles when his power rush gets absorbed. His 2025 production dropped from his 2024 breakout. But he plays with a high motor and excellent coverage awareness as a bonus, and gives Kansas City a rotational piece with starting upside who does not require immediate production to justify the pick.

Ceiling: Haason Reddick | Floor: K'Lavon Chaisson

Miami holds the Broncos' pick after a trade earlier in the offseason. The Dolphins' secondary lost significant pieces in the organizational reset, and cornerback is among the most urgent needs for new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan. Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, was a projected first-round pick for most of this draft cycle before a brutal pre-draft injury sequence sent his stock into genuine uncertainty. He missed the 40-yard dash at the combine with a hamstring issue, could not participate in Clemson's official pro day, and then re-aggravated the injury on his very first run at a private workout with scouts watching.

The injury risk is real and documented. But so is the talent. Terrell was one of the better corners in college football across three seasons at Clemson, posting consistently strong PFF coverage grades, forcing eight career fumbles including a school record for a defensive back, and earning first-team All-ACC and third-team AP All-American honors in 2025. He is fluid, feisty, competitive at the catch point, and versatile enough to play outside or in the slot. At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, size against bigger receivers is a legitimate concern, and the hamstring raises durability questions his college career never did. But at pick 30, if Miami's medical staff clears him, the value is undeniable. A cornerstone of a secondary being built from scratch, available at a discount because of bad luck.

Ceiling: Denzel Ward | Floor: Cam Taylor-Britt

Head coach Mike Vrabel continues building the Patriots back toward relevance, and the linebacker position needs an infusion of talent. CJ Allen led Georgia with 88 tackles, four sacks, and multiple forced fumbles in 2025, earning consensus All-American honors and reaching the finals of Butkus Award voting as the defensive signal-caller of one of the better college defenses in the country. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Allen is undersized for a traditional three-down linebacker, and the evaluator community is genuinely split on his ceiling: his run defense is considered among the best in this class, his gap discipline and tackling fundamentals are NFL-ready, and his communication and leadership on the field are consistently praised. The real debate is coverage.

His short arms and below-average length limit what he can do in man coverage, and his recovery in space has drawn skepticism from scouts who see him as a system-dependent player rather than a difference-maker in the open field. He also dealt with a torn meniscus in November that required surgery, though he returned within two weeks. At pick 31, New England is not drafting a finished product at every level. They are drafting a smart, instinctive linebacker who should start in the run game immediately and develop the rest of his game in a Vrabel defense that will be built around exactly what Allen does well.

Ceiling: Bobby Okereke | Floor: De'Vondre Campbell

The Super Bowl LX champions close out the first round with one of the more fascinating developmental investments in this entire class. Seattle lost Boye Mafe to Cincinnati in free agency, and the defensive line still has needs, but Iheanachor represents the kind of high-upside bet that championship-caliber rosters can afford to make at the end of round one. Born in Nigeria and raised in Los Angeles, Iheanachor did not touch a football until junior college, picking up the sport from scratch at East Los Angeles College in 2021 after a background in soccer and basketball. By the time he reached Arizona State, he was a Top-10 JUCO tackle prospect nationally.

He started all 14 games in 2025, allowed zero sacks on over 850 pass-blocking snaps, and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors while helping Arizona State into the College Football Playoff. At 6-foot-5 and seven-eighths and 321 pounds, he moves like someone who learned lateral agility from years of playing other sports, and his closing speed and hip fluidity are genuinely unusual at his size. The concerns are real: his hand placement is inconsistent, he drew eight penalties in 2025, his punch timing is unreliable, and he has all the refinement issues you would expect from someone with roughly five years of football experience. But the ceiling is unfathomably high, and he had a standout week at the Senior Bowl against top competition. In a system built to develop players and win at a high level, Iheanachor is exactly the kind of bet Mike Macdonald earns the right to make.

Ceiling: Trent Brown | Floor: Daniel Faalele