OutKick Mock Draft 3.0: Cowboys make big splash, Jets shore up shaky defense
With the 2026 NFL Draft kicking off on April 23 in Pittsburgh, it’s time to publish the final version of the OutKick Mock Draft.
The Raiders have tried to fill the Derek Carr-sized void at quarterback since they let the veteran quarterback walk after the 2022 NFL season. Rather than invest in the position through a high pick in the draft, the team has tried to patch the hole with several veterans (including Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew, Geno Smith) and 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell. None of them worked.
There are some rumblings that Mendoza might not go No. 1 overall, particularly when it was revealed that the Heisman Trophy and National Championship-winning quarterback wouldn't attend the draft in Pittsburgh. But attending the draft is becoming less and less common for players and I don't buy into that idea at all. Part of having the top pick isn't just about picking the right guy, but about winning the PR campaign. Teams want fans to be happy and Mendoza is the safest pick at the top of the board. There's just no way, in my opinion, that the Raiders don't select Mendoza.
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Obviously, the Jets need a long-term answer at quarterback, even after trading for veteran Geno Smith, but it just doesn't make sense to take one at No. 2 with Mendoza off the board. New York would be wise to try and trade out of this spot, but the Jets might not find a dance partner. If they stay here, it makes the most sense to give head coach Aaron Glenn, a defensive-minded coach, a pass rusher who can disrupt the game.
New York had the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last year (26) and didn't force a single interception (which is often an indictment of the pass rush more than it is of the secondary). According to Pro Football Reference, the Jets ranked dead-last in the NFL in pressure percentage (15 percent).
The Cardinals are another team that needs a quarterback, with the franchise having moved on from Kyler Murray. But in the same vein as the Jets, that guy doesn't exist at the top of the board and the Cardinals also desperately need to improve on their awful pass rush (tied for third-fewest sacks in the NFL).
The Titans need a lot of help on both sides of the ball, and they should use this pick on a premium position. But I don't think they will. Titans fans miss Derrick Henry, and it's easy to envision a scenario where they see Love becoming the focal point of a functioning offense (something the team really hasn't had since Henry) that helps take some of the stress off Cam Ward in his second season as the starting quarterback. Plus, Love has a chance to be the rare RB prospect who can elevate an entire offense, something Tennessee desperately needs.
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The Giants have their quarterback in Jaxson Dart and two other stars on offense: Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers. All three dealt with injuries last season and the team needs better luck in the health department to have a chance to compete. One way to help the overall health of its offensive players is to bolster the offensive line. Although it won't help on injuries Dart suffers while he's running all over the field, cleaner pockets mean less scrambling and less scrambling means less injury opportunity for the team's franchise passer.
No matter who Cleveland decides to roll with at quarterback in 2026, the team has to give him some weapons. Although the Browns don't usually spend high draft picks on receivers (they've only taken one first-round wide receiver since 2006, Corey Coleman in 2015), now is the time to make the move. Cleveland needs Tate to turn into an alpha, but since they're unlikely to contend until they get a quarterback, Tate has time to do it (which is helpful since he turned 21 in January). Plus, he played at Ohio State, roughly a 2-hour drive from Cleveland, and grew up in the Midwest, making him a clean personality fit for the Browns.
MOCK TRADE - Rams receive: No. 7, Commanders receive: No. 13 (via Falcons), 2026 3rd-round pick, 2027 4th-round pick
We already know the Rams have no problem shipping off picks to improve the roster now, and it's easy to envision them wanting to slide inside the Top 10. Matthew Stafford isn't getting any younger, so the team is going to go all-in to make a push to win one more Super Bowl before he retires. Plus, the Commanders desperately want to move down and acquire more picks.
There are rumors about a potential Davante Adams trade, and we'll project the Rams to give Puka Nacua some help on the other side by grabbing Lemon, who is from Southern California and went to USC, as a legitimate No. 2 in what figures to be another high-powered Rams offense. After seeing Tate come off the board at No. 6, the Rams might be eager to jump and get Lemon before a run on receivers starts.
MOCK TRADE - Cowboys receive: No. 8, Saints receive: No. 12 + 2026 3rd-round pick, 2026 5th-round pick
Perhaps no team needs to address its defensive woes as much as the Dallas Cowboys (except, maybe, the Cincinnati Bengals – and the Bengals just traded their first-round pick for Dexter Lawrence). No team allowed more points or passing yards than the Cowboys in 2025. Styles is an athletic freak who turned heads at the combine and is exactly the type of player Jerry Jones could fall in love with and trade up to make sure he gets him. Styles can help in both rush and pass defense and Dallas needs to get better in both areas so it's a great fit.
The Chiefs' offensive line was a disaster in 2025, and it led to the worst season of Patrick Mahomes' career. The team is mercifully moving on from penalty machine Jawaan Taylor, and the team has to protect Mahomes (who is coming off a torn ACL). Fano is the second-best offensive-line prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft and should be a Day 1 starter for Kansas City.
The Giants surprised most of the football world when they managed to obtain a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft for Dexter Lawrence. It's not that Lawrence isn't a great player, he is. Still, it felt like the Bengals overpaid a bit for his services. But this puts the Giants in a terrific spot to pick twice in the first 10 selections and start rebuilding the team. They need cornerback help and by getting to No. 10, they have the opportunity to pick whichever corner they covet most. In this draft, that should be Delane.
The Dolphins are entering a full rebuild, and if Downs falls this far (he could, simply because teams don't value safeties like they used to), Miami would have no choice but to snag him. They let Jevon Holland walk in free agency and Downs could be a perfect plug-and-play replacement. For a team that's going to need young leaders on the defensive side of the ball, Downs to the Dolphins makes almost too much sense. With the Bengals trading out of the No. 10 spot, Downs just might slide the one additional slot that Miami needs.
The Saints are talking with Chris Olave about a potential contract extension, but there's no guarantee. Olave struggled with concussions throughout his career (he has suffered at least four) and New Orleans might decide it's not a great idea to commit $35 million/season to a guy who might be one big hit away from retirement. Tyson could immediately slot in across from Olave in 2026 to give second-year quarterback Tyler Shough a dynamic wide receiver duo and Tyson could take over the alpha role in 2027 should the Saints decline to sign Olave long-term.
No team allowed more yards to opposing offenses than the Washington Commanders in 2025, so they have to address their defensive issues. Washington really needs corners who can cover and McCoy can definitely cover. He doesn't turn 21 until August, so he's very young, and he missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL in January 2025 while training. Those are both red flags for a Washington team that wants to contend now, but McCoy's talent is too tantalizing to pass up with the No. 13 pick in the draft. He's a guy that could easily have been a Top 5 pick if not for the injury issues. It's a risk, for sure, but it's a risk worth taking because McCoy has the potential to become a shutdown NFL corner.
The Ravens tried to trade this pick for Maxx Crosby, but ultimately pulled out of the deal citing medical concerns. In this mock, Bain suffers a slight fall down the draft board after reports surfaced that he was driving during a 2024 car crash that took the life of a young woman. Although Bain was only cited for careless driving and the citation was dropped, it could affect his draft stock. That being said, I don't know how the Ravens could pass up his talent in this spot, especially after failing to acquire Crosby.
It's not often you see two players from the same school who play the same position being drafted back-to-back, but that's how the board shaped up in this mock draft. The Bucs were middle of the pack in sacks in 2025, but were one of just seven teams with a pressure rate under 20 percent. They need to do a better job getting after opposing quarterbacks and Mesidor is the best option on the board.
The Jets traded away Quinnen Williams and can use their second pick in the first round to add his replacement in McDonald. After grabbing an EDGE player at No. 2 overall, the team should look to continue to improve a defensive line that really struggled in 2025. McDonald is a great fit for Aaron Glenn's scheme and would help the team form an identity as a physical defense.
Detroit took a big step back last season, failing to make the playoffs. Part of the reason was the struggles on the offensive line. Jared Goff took 38 sacks in 2025, the most in a single season in his career, and posted the worst passing success rate of his four seasons in Detroit. The team has to upgrade its offensive line to complement three-time All-Pro left tackle Penei Sewell.
Like the Lions, the Vikings were a huge disappointment in the NFC North. They don't seem sold on quarterback J.J. McCarthy and added veteran Kyler Murray. It's unlikely the team would use the draft to add another first-round quarterback, and quite frankly, the offense should improve with even average quarterback play. That's why it makes sense for the team to use this selection to improve its defense.
Sadiq is a potential matchup nightmare and pairs well with Rookie of the Year wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan to give Bryce Young two massive weapons in the passing game. Other than McMillan, no other Panthers pass catcher had at least 400 yards receiving and the team's best tight end, Tommy Tremble, had just 249 yards. Sadiq adds depth to the passing game that desperately needs it.
The Cowboys' defense was so bad last year, they should look to use both first round picks to help. They made the decision to trade Micah Parsons, which is why they have this pick, so it makes sense to use it on a Parsons replacement. There are scenarios where Jerry Jones falls in love with a flashy offensive weapon instead of making the sensible move, but Dallas has been making those mistakes for years. It's time to start being smart on draft night.
Hosting the NFL Draft puts a little extra pressure on a team's first-round pick and I think Cooper is the type of player that would get the fans in Pittsburgh cheering. He's coming off a national championship win with Indiana, wide receiver is a sexy position that fans like to see their team draft, and if Aaron Rodgers returns, he's going to need all the help he can get. New head coach Mike McCarthy likes to feature a lot of different receivers, so there's still room for Cooper alongside D.K. Metcalf and free-agent signing Michael Pittman.
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Justin Herbert played some incredible football despite being sacked 54 times in 2025, which was one fewer than Cam Ward and Geno Smith, who tied for the league lead. So, yeah, the team needs to keep its franchise quarterback upright. If Proctor falls to them at No. 22, that would be an ideal scenario for LA.
The Eagles took a bit of a step back in 2025 and much of it had to do with the offensive line not performing as well as it had the past few seasons (losing Jason Kelce didn't help). Philadelphia is a team that likes to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and that has served the Eagles well for many years. That's why it makes sense for them to go out and get an offensive lineman (if they don't trade this pick for more capital).
MOCK TRADE - Cardinals receive: No. 24, Browns receive: No. 34, 2026 3rd-round pick
Ty Simpson to the Cardinals seems inevitable and in this mock draft we project Arizona to slide up from its early second round position to grab Simpson at the tail end of the first round. The benefit of picking a QB in the first round, rather than waiting until the second round, is that teams get that coveted fifth-year option, which is an extra year to decide if he can be the future.
The run on offensive line continues because arguably no team needs more help up front than the Bears. Caleb Williams took a meaningful step forward in his sophomore NFL season, but if the team wants him to keep improving, it has to invest in the offensive line to protect him. Iheanachor is the type of player that can help stabilize an entire unit.
Buffalo addressed its major offensive need by trading for receiver D.J. Moore from the Bears, but the team still needs to get more pressure up front on the defensive side of the ball. After moving on from Von Miller prior to last season, the team tried another veteran, Joey Bosa. But Bosa only recorded five sacks in 15 games and remains a free agent. Howell can step in across from Greg Rousseau starting Week 1.
After signing Trent Williams to a two-year contract to keep the offensive line intact, it's time for the 49ers to bulk up on the defensive side of the ball. Nick Bosa is an All-Pro on the outside and San Francisco is looking at his brother, and NFL free agent, Joey Bosa. But they need to get tougher in the middle of the line to help eat up blockers and allow their edge rushers to get to the quarterback.
C.J. Stroud hasn't been able to replicate the success he had in his rookie season, and a lot of that is because the offensive line hasn't done him any favors. The Texans have plenty of weapons, including two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins, but they have to work to keep Stroud upright and throwing from clean pockets more often. Picking at 28 doesn't allow the Texans to get an elite offensive lineman, especially after a lengthy run at the position, but Ioane is a good blocker who should help the interior of the offensive line from day one.
The Chiefs traded McDuffie to the Rams, so it makes sense that they'd target a young, cheap cornerback with their second first-round pick. Steve Spagnuolo loves to blitz and to do that, he needs corners who who can hold up in press-man coverage and not get beaten over the top. Hood is very young (turned 21 in February), so he might need some time to develop. But he should also be able to get some key snaps as a rookie due to his great size (6'0", 195lbs) and speed (4.4 40-yard dash).
The Dolphins acquired this pick by trading WR Jaylen Waddle, and they can effectively use it to replace him with Concepcion, who profiles similarly to Waddle but is obviously younger and cheaper (exactly what Miami needs during this rebuilding phase). Concepcion wrote a letter in The Players' Tribune to tell NFL GMs that he's the best wide receiver in the draft and will outwork anybody. That's the type of attitude this young, rebuilding team desperately needs to add.
The Patriots signed Kevin Byard in free agency, but he's 32 years old. McNeil-Warren would be well-served to spend a year learning how to play the safety position behind a guy like Byard. Plus, the younger legs could give Byard more time off the field throughout the season to keep him fresh for another potential deep postseason run.
If there's one position group from the Super Bowl champion Seahawks that could see a lot of turnover, it's cornerback. Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are both potential free agents and the team probably can't afford to pay both of them (along with paying the "Super Bowl tax" on other players), so it makes the most sense to use the team's first round pick on a corner.
That’s it for our final mock draft of the 2026 NFL Draft season! Have thoughts? Hit me on X: @RealDanZak.