NFL Draft week is here! We’ll start it off with our final NFL Mock Draft of the year which includes the first 40 picks – and one selection from the New England Patriots.
Could the wait be longer than expected though? We’ll dig into that kind of scenario as we run through the first round and top of the second using all of the information that’s come out throughout the process. Additionally, this Mock Draft will lead into our third and final seven-round Patriots Mock Draft, which will be posted later this week. Let’s get started…
1. Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
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There really hasn’t been any reason to question this throughout the pre-draft process. Tom Brady get a new quarterback to work with in Mendoza, fresh off a National Championship run.
2. Jets: EDGE/LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
John Fisher/Getty Images
The two most common players mocked to the Jets have been Reese and edge rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech, but the Jets canceled a planned top-30 visit with Bailey last week. Have they made up their minds? It’s pretty rare for a team to draft a player in the top five without a 30 visit on the books.
3. Cardinals: RT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
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The Cardinals use this pick to improve the situation for their next quarterback, whoever that may be (more on that in a bit). However if Mauigoa doesn’t go here, looking at the board coming up he could drop multiple spots.
4. Titans: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
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In what is viewed as a weaker overall draft, a popular sentiment among experts has been to ‘throw out’ positional value to maximize picks by just taking the best player. That’s what the Titans do here, adding the best offensive playmaker in the draft in Love to pair with last year’s first-overall pick Cam Ward.
5. Giants: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
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Similar philosophy to the last pick, but on defense. Downs did just about everything for Ohio State’s defense, and mentally he’s way ahead of where the average rookie is expected to be. There’s an argument he’s the best overall player in this draft, so the Giants add him to a defense that allowed 25.8 points per game last year.
6. Cowboys (from Browns): LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
-6th overall pick
-39th overall pick (2nd round)
-12th overall pick
-20th overall pick
There was a lot of smoke last week about the Cowboys moving up with Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, and Dane Brugler all having them trading up to Pick 6. Does somebody know something we don’t? It seems like it, and I’m going with somebody. The Cowboys have met with Styles but not the top edge rushers, so he’s projected as the pick here for a team that really needs to improve its defense.
7. Commanders: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
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This represents a bit of a fall for Bailey, but that’s just the way the board goes sometimes. In a deep EDGE class too, some teams may be O.K. waiting until Day 2 at the position. But the Commanders take him here as the best player available, to continue to bolster their rush with Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson.
8. Saints: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
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If the Saints are going to try to make it work with Tyler Shough at quarterback, they need to get players around him that can get open and catch the ball. Tate is a really good complement for Chris Olave, and there’s nothing wrong with an Ohio State-heavy wide receiver room.
9. Chiefs: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
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With what should be a rare top-10 pick, the Chiefs take a swing at upside. Bain will add a real pass rushing threat opposite George Karlaftis.
10. Giants: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
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The Giants got this pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for Dexter Lawrence
11. Dolphins: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
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Given where the Dolphins’ roster is at, they’re in position to take a true best player available approach. At this point that’s Delane, who has the upside of a shutdown cornerback on the outside.
12. Browns (from Cowboys): OL Spencer Fano, Utah
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
There’s some questions about where Fano will play with 32 1/8-inch arms, but wherever he lines up he has the physical ability and technical skill to be a starting-caliber lineman in the NFL. He has experience at both tackle spots, and could begin his career at left tackle in Cleveland.
See Pick 6 for trade details
13. Rams: WR Makai Lemon, USC
Harry How/Getty Images
With Davante Adams year-to-year the Rams get ahead on finding a new running mate for Puca Nacua. The three will also form quite the wide receiver trio in 2026, as Los Angeles tries to max out the end of Matthew Stafford’s tenure as he enters his age 38 season.
The Rams originally acquired this pick in a draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons last year
14. Ravens: G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
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The Ravens lost both center Tyler Linderbaum and right guard Daniel Faalele in free agency, while left guard Andrew Vorhees struggled last season and is in a contract year. They need to improve their interior. Ioane is a rare guard with the talent to make him a clear top 20 pick, so he’ll help them do just that.
15. Buccaneers: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
The Buccaneers’ offense had been highlighted for years by the wide receiver duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans is now gone, and Godwin turned 30 this offseason coming off of back-to-back years where he was limited due to injuries. Trying to put together their next receiver duo, the Bucs add Cooper – a do-it-all wideout from the national champions – to Emeka Egbuka.
16. Jets: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
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Jets are one of the teams with multiple first round picks, so they can take a chance on McCoy. McCoy is one of the more interesting evaluations in this draft – he looks to have top-15 talent but hasn’t played a game since 2024. He tore his ACL in practice last January which caused him to miss the season, and continued to limit him to the point where he wasn’t able to fully take part in the Combine. The Jets hope he’ll return to form and replace Sauce Gardner.
The Jets originally got this pick in the Sauce Gardner trade
17. Lions: OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
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As a tackle with massive size and plus athleticism for his build, Proctor profiles similarly to in some ways to Penei Sewell. He’s not nearly as technically developed as Sewell was coming out of college but does look like he should be able to start Year 1. Proctor’s athleticism gives him versatility, so the Lions could play him at the left side or move Sewell over then play Proctor on the right.
18. Vikings: S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
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Not only have we made this pick for the Vikings in a few of our mock drafts, we’ve actually had them taking a safety in the first round going back to our mocks last year. They do need to get a move on finding a long-term replacement for Harrison Smith, is this the year and the pick where they do it?
19. Panthers: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
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Concepcion, who attended Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte and then began his college career at NC State before transferring to Texas A&M, gets to return home as he’s drafted by the Panthers. A quick, shifty receivers who runs away from defenders both in the route and after the catch, he’ll give Bryce Young a slot, underneath option to complement Tetairoa McMillan on the outside.
20. Browns (from Cowboys): TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Soobum Im/Getty Images
New head coach Todd Monken and offensive coordinator Travis Switzer are going to want to use multiple tight ends, but with David Njoku still unsigned the team doesn’t have much behind Harold Fannin. That’s where Sadiq comes in, as the Browns build what will be a tight end-heavy offense similar to the one Monken ran in Baltimore.
See Pick 6 for trade details, the Cowboys originally got this pick from the Packers in the Micah Parsons trade
21. Dolphins (from Steelers): OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
-30th overall pick
-94th overall pick (3rd round)
-130th overall pick (4th round)
This trade is modeled off of the 2022 Patriots-Chiefs trade. The Dolphins invested good money in Malik Willis, so they should invest in protecting him. They move up to grab Freeling after a bit of a fall. Freeling is a bit of a projection with just 18 college starts, but Miami would have a year to develop him behind right tackle Austin Jackson who is in a contract year.
22. Chargers: EDGE Keldrick Faulk, Auburn
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Faulk doesn’t turn 22 until September, making him one of the younger projected first-round picks in this draft. He’s more of a potential pick than a proven player, but his best football should be ahead of him. Khalil Mack isn’t going to play forever, so the Chargers get ahead of finding his replacement.
23. Eagles: RT Blake Miller, Clemson
David Jensen/Getty Images
Howie Roseman isn’t shy about his preference to drafting offensive linemen. “Right or wrong, as long as I’m here, that’s going to be the priority,” Roseman said in 2021. “If we have an offensive lineman or defensive lineman sticking out on our board and they’re the highest guy, I promise you we’re going to take them.” There’s a strong case to be made that Miller is the best player on the board at this point, and would give the team a long-term option behind 35-year-old right tackle Lane Johnson.
24. Browns: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
After using their first two picks on offense, the Browns use their third first-round pick on the other side of the ball. Mesidor will be a 25-year-old rookie which could push him down the board, but he has the upside of a three-down edge rusher. In Cleveland he should get a lot of opportunities playing opposite Myles Garrett.
The Browns originally got this pick in a draft-day trade with the Jaguars last year
25. Bears: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
After losing both Kevin Byard and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency, the Bears need to rebuild their safety position. Free agent signing Coby Bryan can play the deep part of the field, and McNeil Warren adds a presence in the box.
26. Bills: EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
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Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker (3) celebrates a tackle against Louisiana State University during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Should the Bills use this pick to try to help Josh Allen on offense? There’s certainly a strong argument. But, they need help on both sides of the ball and this is a defense-heavy draft. Buffalo continues to try to solve it’s need on the edge by signing older player sin free agency, but at some point the Bills have to make a draft investment at the position. Parker could be a steal for them here – he looked like a top-15 pick in 2024 before having a down year in 2025.
27. 49ers: LT Caleb Lomu, Utah
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Whether it’s this year or down the road Lomu can take over at left tackle for Trent Williams, who remains in an oddly quiet contract dispute.
28: Raiders (from Texans): OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
-36th overall pick
-102nd overall pick (4th round)
-2027 3rd-round pick
This is nearly the exact same trade the Texans made last year, when they moved back to allow the New York Giants to come up and draft Jaxson Dart. Now the team trading up isn’t drafting a quarterback, but somebody to help protect the QB they already selected. Iheanachor would compete with DJ Glaze in camp for the Week 1 right tackle job, and should develop to taking it over at some point in 2026.
29. Chiefs: WR Denzel Boston, Washington
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
As the Chiefs look to rebuild their offense around Patrick Mahomes with established players near aging out (Kelce) or on expiring contracts (Rice), they hope to find his new top receiver here late in the first. Boston’s ‘go up and get it’ play style should be a good fit.
30. Steelers (from Dolphins): DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
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Cameron Heyward is year-to-year at this point, and without a clear plan ahead at quarterback the Steelers need to maximize their defense. McDonald will help anchor things in the middle for years to come.
See Pick 21 for trade details
31. Cardinals (from Patriots): QB Ty Simpson, Arizona
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
-Pick 34 (2nd round)
-Pick 104 (4th round)
-2027 4th-round pick
With the top tackles off the board, the Patriots get a chance to move back and add draft assets this year and next year. While the Steelers may not need to reach on Simpson with Aaron Rodgers possibly coming back, the Cardinals are more desperate. This is an overpay by the Cardinals, but there are ‘taxes’ that come with getting a first-round pick and fifth-year option without sending one back in return, as well as trading up for a quarterback.
32. Seahawks: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
After losing Boye Mafe in free agency, the Seahawks add Howell to their pass rush rotation. With DeMarcus Lawrence entering his age-33 season and Uchenna Nwosu in a contract year, there could be a path to him starting soon. His speed will fit in well in Seattle’s defense.
33. Jets: LB CJ Allen, Georgia
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The Jets signed 37-year-old Demario Davis in free agency, but he’s hardly a long-term player for them. In Allen, they get a linebacker who they hope can anchor their defense for a decade.
34. Patriots: EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Back on the clock, the Patriots invest in their biggest and most immediate need – edge rusher. Lawrence is one of multiple projected Day 2 players at the position the team has met with.
What sets Lawrence apart? He’s quick and explosive at 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, seemingly putting him in the category of edge rushers Eliot Wolf highlighted as his pre-draft press conference last week. “We could complement our room with some speed. I think that’s evident,” Wolf said. “We would like to get faster.” The Patriots hosted Lawrence for a top-30 visit.
Last season was a career year for Lawrence, as he picked up 11 tackles for a loss and seven sacks in 12 games. His pass rush repertoire showed good improvement last year. Given UCF’s schedule last year and the tackles he faced in particular he’ll have a steeper step up in competition than most players coming from a Power Five school, and he’ll need to be more disciplined against the run to be a three-down player at the next level. But at the end of the day, he should help the Patriots get to the quarterback more consistently.
Where will the Patriots go form here? Be sure to check back in on Wednesday for our final seven-round Patriots mock draft to see what add after Lawrence.
See Pick 31 for trade details
35. Titans: EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
36. Texans (from Raiders): DT Peter Woods, Clemson
37. Giants: G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
38. Texans: G Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
39. Cowboys: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
40. Chiefs: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
