2026 Mock Draft Thread

dliverey44 said:

I agree, but I was throwing out a reason that someone might not like him. I personally am a fan but he needs a good OL to be successful. As long as the hole is open in front of him he is good, but if he has to cutback to find the hole he is less than ideal. We see it alot with some backs that continuously run into the backs of their OL.

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True.
with the new blocking additions we added in the last couple of days, I have visions of him hitting a hole and running to daylight.
Dude is strong.
I'm always thinking of the out years, could see him as a Rham replacement in 2027.
Coach him up as a backup in 2026.
I will watching be him closely, I think he's going to be a good pro.

mayoclinic said:

I think the Pats will live with Barmore for 2026, though you could be right:

Multiple Insiders Predict Patriots Will Cut Veteran After Five Seasons With Team | NESN

The New England Patriots have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks when it comes to free agency and their own roster.

nesn.com

Reports are his projected trade value is not high - a day 3 pick.

Potential Christian Barmore Trade Return Revealed Amid Patriots Split Rumors | NESN

A new report offers insight into what the New England Patriots could receive if they trade star defensive tackle Christian Barmore this offseason.

nesn.com

I was so tempted to take Caleb Banks at 31 and move on from Barmore.

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Is Caleb Banks BPA at 31? What would a 4 man front of Jones, Banks, Barmore, and Williams look like? I think those 4 could collapse a pocket.

Decided to give this a try after FA is all but done.
Now, i dont think this is gonna happen but i think is a realistic approach.

31. Blake Miller OT Clemson - They have nothing behind Campbell and Moses. I expect Munford to be signed after surpassing Bryant in the depht chart, who i think will be nothing more than a camp body. Miller could be a swing tackle backup and future Moses replacement.

63. Gabe Jacas EDGE Illinois - I still think they'll go EDGE in the first and im not sure he's gonna last so it would be a bit of a gamble to wait till 63 to grab an EDGE but it is what it is. Crosby could still be a possibility if the price drops.

95. Eli Raridon TE Notre Dame - TE is a big need, i like some late rounds TE's but Raridon can be Henry's future replacement and the potential is too big to pass up.

125. Jalen Farmer OG Kentucky - Im not quite sure they are going with a IOL as early as this but they need insurance in case AVT gets injured. I could see an athletic C in the Jared Wilson mold here as well.

131. Michael Taaffe S Texas - S could be selected much earlier but if not, i love Taaffe here. He might be too much like Woodson but he's a binky of mine so i had to do it.

171. Jack Kelly LB BYU - Smallish LB with impressive speed and athletic ability just like Vrabes likes. He can play some EDGE too.

191. TJ Hall CB Iowa - Can play CB and S. Depth with some potential.

198. Eli Heidenreich WR Navy - Whats the probability they'll draft 2 Eli's in the same draft? Anyway, I still dont believe they will go into the season with the current WR group. A trade for Brown and Pop going out is what im betting on. Heidenreich gives Chism some competition and as the versatility to align in multiple spots. I could also see his teammate Robinson being taken here.

202. Will Kacmarek TE Ohio State - The elusive blocking TE. Other than being the best one in this draft(maybe) there's the Ohio St connection. There maybe some untapped potential here too.

212. Justin Jefferson LB Alabama - Another small and speedy LB for Vrabel and hopefully can take Mapu spot.

247. Ceyair Wright CB Nebraska - Special teams, captain, CB/S versatility.

stelfans said:

Decided to give this a try after FA is all but done.
Now, i dont think this is gonna happen but i think is a realistic approach.

31. Blake Miller OT Clemson - They have nothing behind Campbell and Moses. I expect Munford to be signed after surpassing Bryant in the depht chart, who i think will be nothing more than a camp body. Miller could be a swing tackle backup and future Moses replacement.

63. Gabe Jacas EDGE Illinois - I still think they'll go EDGE in the first and im not sure he's gonna last so it would be a bit of a gamble to wait till 63 to grab an EDGE but it is what it is. Crosby could still be a possibility if the price drops.

95. Eli Raridon TE Notre Dame - TE is a big need, i like some late rounds TE's but Raridon can be Henry's future replacement and the potential is too big to pass up.

125. Jalen Farmer OG Kentucky - Im not quite sure they are going with a IOL as early as this but they need insurance in case AVT gets injured. I could see an athletic C in the Jared Wilson mold here as well.

131. Michael Taaffe S Texas - S could be selected much earlier but if not, i love Taaffe here. He might be too much like Woodson but he's a binky of mine so i had to do it.

171. Jack Kelly LB BYU - Smallish LB with impressive speed and athletic ability just like Vrabes likes. He can play some EDGE too.

191. TJ Hall CB Iowa - Can play CB and S. Depth with some potential.

198. Eli Heidenreich WR Navy - Whats the probability they'll draft 2 Eli's in the same draft? Anyway, I still dont believe they will go into the season with the current WR group. A trade for Brown and Pop going out is what im betting on. Heidenreich gives Chism some competition and as the versatility to align in multiple spots. I could also see his teammate Robinson being taken here.

202. Will Kacmarek TE Ohio State - The elusive blocking TE. Other than being the best one in this draft(maybe) there's the Ohio St connection. There maybe some untapped potential here too.

212. Justin Jefferson LB Alabama - Another small and speedy LB for Vrabel and hopefully can take Mapu spot.

247. Ceyair Wright CB Nebraska - Special teams, captain, CB/S versatility.

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Very nice mock. I'd take that on the day.

Delp might change based on his Pro Day. Double down on EDGE/CB/WR/G. #63 is a lark. 1 Trade.

Clonamery said:

Delp might change based on his Pro Day. Double down on EDGE/CB/WR/G. #63 is a lark. 1 Trade.

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Almost a perfect mock!

Some draft thoughts,

I think the real goal of the draft is to create as much surplus value as possible, ie getting production from a rookie contract that would otherwise cost a lot on the veteran market.

Because of that, it makes sense to prioritize premium salary positions, especially early in the draft. Roughly speaking those are:

QB, Edge, OT, WR, CB, and probably DT.

If you hit on those positions, the surplus value is enormous because elite players at those spots cost $20M–$40M per year on the open market, while a rookie contract costs a fraction of that.

There’s also historical evidence supporting this. Draft research shows that a disproportionate share of elite players (Pro Bowl / All-Pro level) come from those premium positions when selected early in the draft.

In other words, even when controlling for how often they’re drafted, premium positions still produce a large share of the league’s elite players.

So, while I’m generally a BPA supporter, I think it should be BPA within premium positions, especially in the early rounds.

Positions that historically carry lower market value — running back, center, guard, safety, linebacker — are usually easier to fill later in the draft or through free agency,

I think, one interesting gray area is pass-catching tight ends. If a TE is essentially functioning as a receiving weapon, you could argue they start to look economically more like a WR than a traditional TE. Same argument with certain receiving RBs, though those are pretty rare.

I think the Patriots’ biggest needs actually line up with premium positions, and this draft seems reasonably strong at those spots, particularly Edge.

If the board falls reasonably well, I’d love to see something like:

Round 1: RT

Round 2: Edge or WR

Round 3: Edge / WR / maybe DT/CB

I think this approach maximizes the chance of landing high-impact players and creating maximum surplus value. I’d also advocate taking a QB each draft, late in the draft, as that position is the most valuable. I’d stash, develop, and look to trade.

I think most of this is supported by Massey & Thaler, Chase Stuart draft studies, PFF positional value and hit-rate studies and draft trend analysis. I also think that most NFL teams know this, as over the last decade, roughly 70%-75% of first round picks have been spent on just five positions, QB, EDGE, OT, WR, & CB. Some of the information comes from the internet and while it may not be perfectly correct, I think it’s generally or directionally correct.

One last comment, while I’m probably in the minority, I don’t think drafting TreVeyon Henderosn with the 38th pick last year was smart since he’s a running back and if the Bears offer of #58, #79, and 2026 3rd was true than doubly bad as that was a lot of surplus value in the trade. I remember watching on TV and it looked like the Pats didn’t even really consider it, which was/is concerning. I could obviously be wrong on that interpretation of the draft war room, but that’s what I recall.

Early focus was on WR (x2) and OL (x4) because of the loss of Diggs and the poor OL performance in the playoffs. Verah-Tucker's propensity to get injured means having extra OL depth is almost mandatory.

We did pick up Barham and Moore as OLB/Edge prospects. Capehart is a potential Tonga replacement with more athleticism. We stocked up on secondary pieces in the backend of the draft as our starters already look good to go now.

VJCPatriot said:

Early focus was on WR (x2) and OL (x4) because of the loss of Diggs and the poor OL performance in the playoffs. Verah-Tucker's propensity to get injured means having extra OL depth is almost mandatory.

We did pick up Barham and Moore as OLB/Edge prospects. Capehart is a potential Tonga replacement with more athleticism. We stocked up on secondary pieces in the backend of the draft as our starters already look good to go now.

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It's bold to go with two WRs with the first two picks and then not hit edge until pick 171.

Having said that, I really like Cooper and Trey Moore, Barham and Crownover will all likely be on my final 'good picks for the Pats' board.

manxman2601 said:

It's bold to go with two WRs with the first two picks and then not hit edge until pick 171.

Having said that, I really like Cooper and Trey Moore, Barham and Crownover will all likely be on my final 'good picks for the Pats' board.

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Thanks. That's just how the draft fell to me. I felt it was better to trade down from the second and get more picks in return than to take the best edge available at 63. We picked up an early 3rd (#78) and a 4th in return for the move down.

Thank goodness a few decent prospects still slid to us later. The ability to double up on prospects means it becomes more likely that we get hits on these positions of need.

I will probably do another mock after free agency ends and we know better where our roster stands.

I would be happy with something like this.
Value wasn't there at Edge in the first and Miller was best value.
I think there is value in WR/TE late, thus the double dip.

DoubleDeluxe said:

I would be happy with something like this.
Value wasn't there at Edge in the first and Miller was best value.
I think there is value in WR/TE late, thus the double dip.

NFL Mock Draft Database

NFL Mock Draft Database is the largest 2026 NFL Mock Draft collection from the top analysts, experts and sites around.

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I'd absolutely take that. I'd go in a diiferent direction on day 3, but you came close to nailing day one and two.

manxman2601 said:

I'd absolutely take that. I'd go in a diiferent direction on day 3, but you came close to nailing day one and two.

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Gyllengorp has been a late rd fav of mine, had to take a swing on him.
I've been mocking Randall late, but he was gone.

3 round mock from Josh Edwards at CBS Sports:


My version:

31. Caleb Banks, DL
63. Treydan Stukes, S/nickel
95. Ted Hurst, WR

Got the following mock on PFSN, no trades:

1(31). Max Iheanachor, RT, Arizona St.
2(63). Caleb Banks, DL, Florida. BPA.
3(95). Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt. BPA.
4(125). Kyle Louis, LB/S, Pittsburgh. BPA.
4(131). VJ Payne, S, Kansas St.
5(171). Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington.
6(191). Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati.
6(198). DeZhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss.
6(202). Mason Reiger, EDGE, Wisconsin.
6(212). Damonte Capehart, DL, Clemson.
7(247). Micah Morris, IOL, Georgia.

Notes:

1. At 63, Treydan Stukes and Dani Dennis-Sutton were both gone, but Caleb Banks slipped due to his foot injury. BPA, and too talented to pass up.

2. Eli Stowers BPA at 95, would offer more to the passing game than any available WR.

3. Kyle Louis BPA at 125 and addresses huge LB need.

4. I had the choice between VJ Payne and Zakee Wheatley at 131, loved both.

5. At 171, missed out on Jalen Farmer, Keagan Trost, Keyron Crawford, Jaishawn Barham, Romello Height, Sam Roush and Jeff Caldwell.

6. At 191, narrowly missed out on Eli Heidenreich, so grabbed Cyrus Allen for quick slot receiver.

7. At 191, narrowly missed out on Adam Randall.

8. Mason Reiger and Damonte Capehart both athletic development guys.

9. Would have been happy with Micah Morris 100 picks earlier.

10. Obviously the big miss here was an EDGE rusher, but the way this mock fell I felt the values elsewhere were too good to pass up. I would offer to trade Christian Barmore to the Giants for Kayvon Thibodeaux. Barmore is expendable, and Caleb Banks and Damonte Capeheart offer a ton of interior athleticism.

mayoclinic said:

Got the following mock on PFSN, no trades:

1(31). Max Iheanachor, RT, Arizona St.
2(63). Caleb Banks, DL, Florida. BPA.
3(95). Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt. BPA.
4(125). Kyle Louis, LB/S, Pittsburgh. BPA.
4(131). VJ Payne, S, Kansas St. Took Payne over Zakee Wheatley.
5(171). Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington.
6(191). Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati.
6(198). DeZhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss.
6(202). Mason Reiger, EDGE, Wisconsin.
6(212). Damonte Capehart, DL, Clemson.
7(247). Micah Morris, IOL, Georgia.

Notes:

1. At 63, Treydan Stukes and Dani Dennis-Sutton were both gone, but Caleb Banks slipped due to his foot injury. BPA, and too talented to pass up.

2. Eli Stowers BPA at 95, would offer more to the passing game than any available WR.

3. Kyle Louis BPA at 125 and addresses huge LB need.

4. I had the choice between VJ Payne and Zakee Wheatley at 131, loved both.

5. At 171, missed out on Jalen Farmer, Keagan Trost, Keyron Crawford, Jaishawn Barham, Romello Height Sam Roush and Jeff Caldwell.

6. At 191, narrowly missed out on Eli Heidenreich, so grabbed Cyrus Alken for quick slot receiver.

7. At 191, narrowly missed out on Adam Randall.

8. Mason Reiger and Damonte Capehart both athletic development guys.

9. Would have been happy with Micah Morris 100 picks earlier.

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Good players, but opponent QBs will have all day to pass.

mayoclinic said:

Got the following mock on PFSN, no trades:

1(31). Max Iheanachor, RT, Arizona St.
2(63). Caleb Banks, DL, Florida. BPA.
3(95). Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt. BPA.
4(125). Kyle Louis, LB/S, Pittsburgh. BPA.
4(131). VJ Payne, S, Kansas St. Took Payne over Zakee Wheatley.
5(171). Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington.
6(191). Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati.
6(198). DeZhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss.
6(202). Mason Reiger, EDGE, Wisconsin.
6(212). Damonte Capehart, DL, Clemson.
7(247). Micah Morris, IOL, Georgia.

Notes:

1. At 63, Treydan Stukes and Dani Dennis-Sutton were both gone, but Caleb Banks slipped due to his foot injury. BPA, and too talented to pass up.

2. Eli Stowers BPA at 95, would offer more to the passing game than any available WR.

3. Kyle Louis BPA at 125 and addresses huge LB need.

4. I had the choice between VJ Payne and Zakee Wheatley at 131, loved both.

5. At 171, missed out on Jalen Farmer, Keagan Trost, Keyron Crawford, Jaishawn Barham, Romello Height Sam Roush and Jeff Caldwell.

6. At 191, narrowly missed out on Eli Heidenreich, so grabbed Cyrus Alken for quick slot receiver.

7. At 191, narrowly missed out on Adam Randall.

8. Mason Reiger and Damonte Capehart both athletic development guys.

9. Would have been happy with Micah Morris 100 picks earlier.

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Love the double dip on WR, and 2 different types which is ideal.
Banks at 63 would be incredible value.
Love Capehart late.
Great job.

VJCPatriot said:

Early focus was on WR (x2) and OL (x4) because of the loss of Diggs and the poor OL performance in the playoffs. Verah-Tucker's propensity to get injured means having extra OL depth is almost mandatory.

We did pick up Barham and Moore as OLB/Edge prospects. Capehart is a potential Tonga replacement with more athleticism. We stocked up on secondary pieces in the backend of the draft as our starters already look good to go now.

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PF2 asked me to give you a

In that draft, if we could swing a Barmore for Thibodeaux trade, the projected roster would look like:

Offense (24):

QB(2): Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito
RB(3): TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Lan Larison
FB(1): Reggie Gilliam
WR(6): Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, Mac Hollins, DeZhaun Stribling, Cyrus Allen/Efton Chism/Pop Douglas
TE(3): Hunter Henry, Eli Stowers, KJ Britt
OT(4): Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Max Iheanachor, Marcus Bryant (possible Thayer Munford re-signing)
IOL(5): Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson, Mike Onwenu, Ben Brown, Micah Morris

Defense (25):

DL(5): Milton Williams, Caleb Banks, Cory Durden, Josh Farmer, Leonard Taylor/DeMonte Capehart/Eric Gregory
EDGE(5): Kayvon Thibodeaux, Harold Landry, Dre'Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson/Mason Reiger
LB(5): Robert Spillane, Kyle Louis, Christian Ellis, Chad Muma/Jesse Lukuta/Marte Mapu
S(4): Craig Woodson, Kevin Byard, VJ Payne, Dell Pettus/Mike Brown
CB(6): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Ephesians Prysock, Charles Woods, Marcellus Dial/Kobe Minor

Special Teams (4):

K: Andy Borregales
P: Bryce Baringer
LS: Julian Ashby
Specialist: Brendan Schooler

I would agree that would be a pretty deep and complete roster. Most immediate needs would be met. 2027 could see an EDGE, X WR, S, TE and RG.

There would be too many WRs. It might make sense in that scenario to see about trading Boutte and/or Douglas, possibly even trading along with a 2027 draft pick for an X receiver.