The day is finally here! After a painful couple of months without football, some excitement is finally upon us: Draft Day. While there may not be as many crazy trade up/down scenarios as in Kevin Costner’s (incredible) movie of the same name, there will inevitably be some unexpected picks that leave fans with their jaws on their floor. While predicting all 32 first round picks perfectly is virtually impossible, I like to have a bit of fun projecting some possible fits for each team and player, and hopefully I’ll get a few correct along the way!
Pick 1: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: Fernando Mendoza QB, Indiana University
Perhaps the chalkiest pick we’ve had in a while, it seems all but guaranteed that Mendoza will be the first player selected. Coming off an outstanding year in which he took home the nations top honor, the Heisman Trophy, en route to a national championship at Indiana of all places, it looks like the Raiders will hand the keys to their franchise to the young quarterback out of Bloomington.
Pick 2: NEW YORK JETS: David Bailey EDGE, Texas Tech University
There has been a lot of buzz made about the Jets cancelling their top 30 visit with David Bailey, but, if anything, I see this as more of an indication he might be their player. If they had concerns or questions about him, they’d likely bring him in. While I don’t necessarily think Bailey is the best pick at this spot, I ultimately think the Jets attempt to bring in a premier edge rusher in a class without a clear second pick.
Pick 3: ARIZONA CARDINALS: Arvell Reese EDGE, Ohio State University
I was tempted to pick Jeremiyah Love in this spot, but the Cardinals simply have too many other holes they need to fill on their roster before they should think about a running back. Reese is an athletic freak, and as long as the Cardinals can continue to develop his bag of pass-rushing moves (Reese only just started playing off the edge), then he should be a guy that can get you double digit sacks year in year out.
Pick 4: TENNESSEE TITANS: Jeremiyah Love RB, University of Notre Dame
Perhaps the best true talent in this class, Love is truly a do-it-all back. Comparisons to Jamaal Charles are not made lightly, and he would be a scary force to pair up with young QB Cam Ward. The Titans will have to continue to build in the trenches to ensure he has room to run, but there shouldn’t be any reason why Love can’t be an incredibly successful player from the moment he enters the league.
Pick 5: NEW YORK GIANTS: Francis Mauigoa OL, University of Miami (FL)
After trading superstar defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, the Giants now have two top ten picks in the draft. Given this, I think the trench-inclined John Harbaugh will look to build the beefiest and best offensive line he possibly can, and Mauigoa is probably the best guy for that in this class. The Giants can focus on defense with their next pick, but Mauigoa should help to solidify their interior offensive line, and he has tackle flexibility in case of injury.
Pick 6: CLEVELAND BROWNS: Monroe Freeling OT, University of Georgia
The Browns are in desperate need of talent along their offensive line, and Freeling profiles as the truest left tackle in this class. His physical traits are reminiscent of a lab-built prototypical tackle, and with a couple of years of development, he easily could find himself amongst the best in the league at his position.
Pick 7: WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: Rueben Bain Jr EDGE, University of Miami (FL)
The Commanders simply have to upgrade everywhere on defense. A disappointing year can be chalked up to unfortunate injuries to Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, but Dan Quinn puts out a replica of his defense this year then he will very quickly be out of a job. Bain was downright dominant in college, and while there are some concerns about his arm length, I see no reason why he won’t translate to the professional level.
Pick 8: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Carnell Tate WR, Ohio State University
Tate would join a long list of Ohio State receivers to play for the Saints, and I think it would just be a match made in heaven alongside fellow Buckeye Chris Olave. With the emergence of Tyler Shough at the backend of last season the Saints finally have some momentum, and they should capitalize on that by shoring up their wide receiver core for the foreseeable future.
Pick 9: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Mansoor Delane CB, Louisiana State University
The Chiefs could go in a variety of directions here, but I think grabbing the best corner in the class would make the most sense. After trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams, Delane would slot in as their CB1 of the future and provide them with a strong replacement immediately. There are other corner options down the board that could prompt them to go somewhere else with this pick, but I wonder if any will have a day one impact like Delane could for a team that is looking to get back into contention.
Pick 10: NEW YORK GIANTS (FROM CINCINATTI BENGALS): Sonny Styles LB, Ohio State University
This would be almost a best-case scenario for the Giants who could nab two of the best overall players in this class. Styles is a ridiculous specimen, registering combine results that we haven’t seen since Megatron himself, and for a team needing talent on defense this would be a slam dunk pick.
Pick 11: MIAMI DOLPHINS: Makai Lemon WR, University of Southern California
The Dolphins probably have the emptiest group of weapons in the league, but Lemon could go a long way to improve that situation. A shifty route runner that has impressive contested catch ability for a 5’11 receiver, he would feast in the slot and would provide new quarterback Malik Willis with a reliable target downfield.
Pick 12: DALLAS COWBOYS: Caleb Downs S, Ohio State University
Defensive players have to be the number one priority for the Cowboys, and what better way than bringing in arguably the best defensive back in the class. Downs is incredibly smart and has a knack for making timely game-changing plays, exactly what a struggling Cowboys defense needs.
Pick 13: LOS ANGELES RAMS (FROM ATLANTA FALCONS): Jordyn Tyson WR, Arizona State University
I initially thought that Tyson might slide further in the draft due to injury concerns, but recent reports suggest that some teams are still incredibly high on him. When on the field, he has a case to be the best receiver in the class, so I would not be surprised to see the Rams bet on the talent, especially with a pick that isn’t even theirs.
Pick 14: BALTIMORE RAVENS: Vega Ioane IOL, Penn State University
The Ravens were plagued by deficiencies within their interior offensive line all of 2025, and Ioane would be the perfect stopgap to improve that play. A dominant force from the inside, he profiles as a day one starter and should give Lamar a reliable presence in pass pro.
Pick 15: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Akheem Mesidor EDGE, Florida State University (FL)
The Buccaneers have a well-rounded roster, so picking an older prospect like Mesidor makes more sense given their desire to contend. Mesidor has some of the cleanest tape in the class, and recent comments from GM Jason Licht lead me to believe that this could be the pick.
Pick 16: NEW YORK JETS (FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS): Omar Cooper Jr WR, University of Indiana
With a lot of the top talent off of the board at this point, the Jets need to bring in some kind of weapon to help out Geno Smith, or whoever else is playing quarterback for them this year. Cooper is a reliable and very talented receiver and should pair well with Garrett Wilson.
Pick 17: DETROIT LIONS: Spencer Fano OL, University of Utah
Following the release of Taylor Decker, the Lions need to bring in someone to replace him along the offensive line. While there is speculation around whether Fano can stick at tackle long-term, he is very talented and should find a position somewhere along that line with relative ease.
Pick 18: MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Dillon Thieneman S, University of Oregon
After Mendoza to the Raiders, this might be the second most common pick of the entire draft. Thieneman is a rangy and talented safety who could easily step into the role that Harrison Smith has occupied for the last fourteen years.
Pick 19: CAROLINA PANTHERS: Kenyon Sadiq TE, University of Oregon
The best move for the Panthers is to continue to surround their young QB Bryce Young with talent, and talented Sadiq is. While not producing the most at Oregon, Sadiq has all of the requisite athletic tools to succeed and has made some highlight-reel worthy catches that would excite anyone.
Pick 20: DALLAS COWBOYS (FROM GREEN BAY PACKERS): Avieon Terrell CB, Clemson University
Following in the theme of their earlier pick, the Cowboys need help on the backend of their defense, and Terrell is a great prospect at corner. He should immediately fit in across the other side of the field from Daron Bland, providing a lockdown presence that will be welcome in Dallas.
Pick 21: PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Chase Bisontis OL, Texas A&M University
The Steelers have a need at interior offensive line, and Bisontis has been quickly rising up draft boards. Pittsburgh should be able to plug him in right away and give Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren a strong line to run with.
Pick 22: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: Kayden McDonald DL, Ohio State University
After losing Poona Ford in the previous offseason, the Chargers had a difficult time with stopping the run or generating interior pressure. That job will become even more difficult after losing defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to the Ravens, so McDonald should go a long way to helping that out.
Pick 23: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Kadyn Proctor OL, University of Alabama
The Eagles have had so much success in recent times from drafting players at positions they will need in the future. Proctor is exactly that, a bit of a project, but he has the potential to be a dominant force at his position with a bit of development.
Pick 24: CLEVELAND BROWNS (FROM JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS): Denzel Boston WR, University of Washington
After drafting tackle with their first pick, the Browns need to bolster their core of wide receivers. Boston is a type of receiver that they simply do not have on their roster currently, so it could make sense for them to go in this direction.
Pick 25: CHICAGO BEARS: TJ Parker EDGE, Clemson University
The Bears have spent a number of top picks on their offense within recent line, so drafting a high upside EDGE like Parker makes perfect sense. Before a disappointing season at Clemson, Parker was in talks to be one of the top picks in the draft, so if the Bears can tap into that then the ceiling is the sky.
Pick 26: BUFFALO BILLS: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren S, University of Toledo
The Bills season was ended on two penalties on deep shots from the Broncos, so this is a clear need for them to upgrade. McNeil-Warren is a fun, playmaking safety that should help to improve a poor Bills secondary.
Pick 27: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Blake Miller OT, Clemson University
While they were able to get a deal done with Trent Williams, the Niners need to find a future replacement for the veteran All-Pro left tackle. Miller is a good prospect, and with a couple of years under Williams he could develop nicely into exactly what San Francisco needs.
Pick 28: HOUSTON TEXANS: Peter Woods DL, Clemson University
Their offense may be putrid, but if you can’t score on the Texans then it will be difficult to win games. I say lean into your strength, so adding Peter Woods to a defensive line with Will Anderson Jr and Danielle Hunter is a scary prospect.
Pick 29: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (FROM LOS ANGELES RAMS): Cashius Howell EDGE, Texas A&M University
The Chiefs current room of defensive lineman is simply not up to standard, so Cashius Howell would be a welcome addition. While he may not have an enormous impact in season one, Howell should develop into a nice pass-rusher for the future.
Pick 30: MIAMI DOLPHINS (FROM DENVER BRONCOS): Colton Hood CB, University of Tennessee
Other than receiver, the Dolphins biggest weakness is in their secondary. Hood had a phenomenal season at Tennessee, and that could see him launched into the first round for a corner-desperate team like Miami.
Pick 31: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Emmanuel Pregnon IOL, University of Oregon
The Patriots simply gave up too many sacks in the post-season, and, while some of that can be attributed to Drake Maye, they need to do a better job at protecting their franchise QB. Pregnon had a near flawless resume at Oregon, and should be a quality player in the league.
Pick 32: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Brandon Cisse CB, University of South Carolina
To round it off I have the Seahawks drafting the uber-athletic Brandon Cisse to strengthen their cornerback room following the departure of Riq Woolen. Cisse is a lockdown corner and would be a great addition to a Super Bowl winning defense.
