A lot of guys I wanted to watch didn't workout at all , or only did certain things at the combine this week. It's a disturbing trend that keeps growing incrementally year after year in my opinion. While this draft looks subpar in blue chip players , and in players with actual first round grades SO FAR , its growing on me in terms of players that will not only be starters, but also guys who can give a team quality minutes early on in their careers. So many draft eligible higher level prospects THAT I had already watched some tape on returned to school this time around , However, I like that more guys are staying in school and getting sharper on the field, but also it means players who don't make it in the NFL should be able to transition to teal life easier if they have that degree. Because even if I personally think that college is overrated in many aspects , and that fro many schools its primarily a way to brain wash young people into a particular ideology while milking them for more money by making people take classes they don't really need outside of their major, many companies still want that degree to rise up internally in their particular workplace. Now that Scouting Combine week has come and gone some players I didn't have on my radar worked out really well. Although the guys who disappointed in Indy during workouts have my respect for at least competing . So I have some new names that weren't on my list to watch now , and those workouts along with the official measurements always cause a lot of players to be be reconsidered both positively & negatively by the combine is over. Yes , I still have a lot of studying to do , but at this point I still doubt there will be even 15 players with a 1rst round grade in this draft. On a personal note this has been a tough College season for me in real life. I have been moving , and the old house is still being fixed up for resale. So I am behind on my tape watching for this time of the year compared to previous seasons , but now things have slowed down , and I am mostly bedridden with a injury , which consequently gives me a lot of free time to grind film. Right now I have done one game on 201 players and 3 or more games on 119 guys, but I doubt I will have time to do a minimum of 3 games of even 400 players this year. Although I will get a lot more games done on the players I end up liking and with those who I am intrigued with enough to put in my final top 200 right before the draft. Plus I will watch have broken down the film on over 20 games for some players that end up in or around my top 50. The 2026 draft also 4 teams with an extra 1rst rounder this year , but unless I believed I was getting a franchise QB out of it I would be trading away any pick outside the top 15 for a 1rst rounder next year if I could get it , because that draft looks like it could be the best class of prospects since 2014. In fact the 2027 draft might be even better because the 2027 draft has the multiple potential ace QB's that 2014 lacked. Yes , I have watched all of these players actually play a lot more , but that is not the same as breaking down the film on them so many grades are still in flux Throw in the guys who are draft eligible sophomores that I didn't expect to even contemplate going Pro so early, or that haven't played much yet so they aren't on my radar right now, and then chime in with the fact we have only have a partial idea what teams will need on draft day when their turn on the clock comes up because of injuries, free agency, retirements , the cap, suspensions , and who knows what else could happen ? Not to mention all the STUPID HEAD COACH FIRINGS THIS OFF SEASON , and now all those new coaches are going to be trying to assess their current rosters and implement their schemes on their new teams. Plus the transfer portal & NIL money has drastically changed the face of college football , but at least more guys are staying in school longer as the early entry draft list is relatively small this time around. However , year after year many guys disappoint, go back to school, get injuries, get in trouble , and others come out of the woodwork. You always have to let it play out to get to the truth. Coming into this season I really liked both Indiana and Clemson to end up in the National Championship , but I thought Clemson just had more potential because they had more high end players in my opinion. Well ? Not only was Indiana better , but also every single Clemson player that I was expecting to move forward as a player actually went backwards compared to last year , except OT Blake Miller , but he looked only slightly better than he did in 2024 to me. Also I just started looking into injuries and character concerns , but a lot of that stuff comes out during and after the combine. So you can see what a precarious prediction it really is at this time. At least the draft order is set at this point. I expect Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza to go #1 , and I personally doubt the Raiders trade the pick. Also a few trades will probably happen in the 2nd half of the 1rst round , but I only have one in this mock. This is NOT my top 32 , but instead what I believe teams will do in the first round , or with their first pick FOR THE 4 TEAMS who are lacking a a 1rst round pick this year. I even have the Browns taking 2 different O-Lineman in the first because 5 years ago they had the best group of blockers in the league , but now everybody's from that group is looking a lot older , injured , gone, or some combination thereof. Plus I don't remember having a guy in my top 10 that I didn't have a first round grade on my board before now , unless it was a QB , but I have The Bengals taking such a player this year at #10 . Like I said it's not that great at the top in this draft , and the Bengals are a team that drafts for need & tools, and they rarely trade unless it's a one sided slam dunk in their favor. Without further ado here it is. Agreeing or disagreeing is welcome, but please do it intelligently & respectfully or I just won't post it. so here it is. Enjoy.
# Is for a player for with reported character or maturity concerns.
** Is for a player with reported injury concerns.
1.RAIDERS - FERNANDO MENDOZA - QB - INDIANA
2.JETS - DAVID BAILEY - OLB/DE - TEXAS TECH
3.ARIZONA - FRANCIS MAUIGOA - T/G - MIAMI
4.TITANS - ARVELL REESE - LB/EDGE - OHIO ST.
5.GIANTS - CALEB DOWNS - S - OHIO ST.
6.BROWNS - MONROE FREELING - OT - GEORGIA
7.WASHINGTON - RUEBEN BAIN - DE/DT - MIAMI
8.SAINTS - JEREMIYAH LOVE - RB - N.DAME
9.CHIEFS - SPENCER FANO - T/G - UTAH
10.BENGALS - TJ PARKER - DE/OLB - CLEMSON
11.MIAMI - SONNY STYLES - LB - OHIO ST.
***TRADE*** The JETS TRADE the 1rst rounder (#16) they got from The Colts and they also send back to DALLAS the 2nd rounder (#44) they have from The Quinnen Williams trade (#44) (#12) for The COWBOYS 1rst rounder ***TRADE***
12.JETS-(dall)- TY SIMPSON - QB - ALABAMA
13.RAMS-(atl)- MAKAI LEMON - WR - USC
14.RAVENS - AKHEEM MESIDOR - DL - MIAMI
15.TAMPA BAY - PETER WOODS - DT - CLEMSON
16.DALLAS-(jets,colts)- MANSOOR DELANE - CB - LSU
17.LIONS - CALEB LOMU - OT - UTAH
18.VIKINGS - DILLION THIENEMAN - S - OREGON
19.CAROLINA - KAYDEN MCDONALD - DT - OHIO ST.
20.DALLAS -(gb)- CJ ALLEN - LB - GEORGIA
21.STEELERS - CARNELL TATE - WR - OHIO ST.
22.CHARGERS - EMMANUEL PREGNON - G - OREGON
23.EAGLES - KENYON SADIQ - TE - OREGON
24.BROWNS-(Jax) - OLAIVAVEGA IOANE - G - PENN ST.
25.BEARS - JERMOD MCCOY - ** - CB - TENNESEE
26.BILLS - JORDAN TYSON - ** - WR - AZ ST.
27.S.F. 49ers - KELDRICK FAULK - DE - AUBURN
28.TEXANS - KADYN PROCTOR - T/G - ALABAMA
29.RAMS - MAX IHEANACHOR - OT - AZ. ST.
30.DENVER - DENZEL BOSTON - WR - WASHINGTON
31.PATRIOTS - ZION YOUNG - DE - MISSOURI
32.SEATTLE - CASHIUS HOWELL - DE/OLB - TEXAS A&M
2ND ROUNDERS FOR TEAMS WITHOUT A 1RST ROUNDER THIS YEAR
47.COLTS - BLAKE MILLER - OT - CLEMSON
48.ATLANTA - AVIEON TERRELL - CB - CLEMSON
52.PACKERS - CALEB BANKS - # - DT - FLORIDA
56.JAGUARS - CHRIS JOHNSON - CB - SAN DIEGO ST.
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