Hello friends, it's your buddy Lou Pickney with you here.
The DKDB update March 7th 2026 Start things off with a massive trade that was announced late Friday night between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens.
The Raiders are sending five-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby, edge rusher, elite to Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore's 2026 first-rounder, the number 14 pick overall, and Baltimore's 2027 first-round selection.
So, the Raiders get two first-rounders for Crosby.
You might recall late last season the Raiders shut down Crosby essentially for the last couple games of the season saying it was for injury reasons.
But, in reality, it seemed to be a situation where the Raiders didn't want somebody they were likely to trade getting hurt, especially when you can get two first-rounders out of him.
Now, Crosby's had a fantastic run with the Raiders in spite of the lack of stability at the top there.
From Oakland to Las Vegas, you got a relocation, all these different coaches.
Now, Crosby's going to be playing for the Baltimore Ravens.
And so, of course, that's going to impact the NFL draft.
These trades happening.
Some have said it's an indication about the concerns of availability of certain player positions in free agency.
Some have said it's a concern about the draft class as a whole.
But, opinions will always vary on these sorts of things.
The DKDB is my personally curated, human curated, 2026 NFL mock draft.
I put the best of the best in the DKDB.
I believe in the DKDB.
So, I'm going to have reaction right now to a new mock draft from Nate Davis of USA Today.
But, late news about the trade between the Raiders and the Ravens right away made a lot of these somewhat obsolete, including mine.
Got to go through it, recalibrate.
That's how it goes this time of year.
You can't get too attached to mock drafts.
They're like sandcastles.
That tide's coming in eventually.
So, with that in mind, I'm going to have my reaction now to the latest of mock draft from Nate Davis of USA Today.
Nate's saying that the Crosby trade should mean helpful for Fernando Mendoza.
I encourage you to go and read this mock draft from Nate Davis.
A lot of interesting insight in there.
I'll have the link in the description for this video on YouTube.
At one, Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, quarterback from Indiana, all but a lock at this point.
It would be a colossal shock if that didn't happen.
At two, New York Jets, David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech.
He had 14 and 1/2 sacks last season, including in total with the non-sacks, 19 and 1/2 tackles for loss.
The guy can get to the backfield exceptionally well.
Ace pass rushers are tough to come by.
And look at what Baltimore just gave up to get Crosby.
I'm not saying there's another Max Crosby in this draft, per se, but clearly, it's a position of major interest and concern depending on the situation.
The Jets didn't have a single interception last season, which is absolutely difficult to fathom.
17 games and as a team, zero interceptions.
They need to boost that defense up.
Here they got David Bailey at two.
Breece Nate has the Cardinals taking Ar'vell Reese.
I can see this happening.
If Reese doesn't go at two to the Jets because of the way you can play him at a bunch of different spots.
I think for Arizona, it'd be a solid pick up if he's there at three.
That was my reaction to the new mock draft from Nate Davis of USA Today.
You can go to the DKDB.
All these different mock drafts available, latest updates.
At four, Tennessee Titans.
My hometown Titans get running back Jeremiah Love from Notre Dame.
The best running back prospect in the draft bar none.
An adept receiver out of the backfield and he really impressed people at the combine.
Special talent.
Number five, New York Giants.
Nate Davis says linebacker Sonny Styles from Ohio State goes to the Giants.
But here's another mock that has Styles going ahead of safety Caleb Downs.
Ironically, Styles began his career at Ohio State as a safety, converted to linebacker.
He's got the flexibility to play a few different spots.
He'd be an excellent addition to that Giants defense if that is the decision at five.
At six, Francis Mauigoa.
Offensive lineman from Miami.
The Cleveland Browns who also a pick at number 24.
>> [snorts] >> The Browns are expected to have a lot of needs on their offensive line.
They might not use both first-rounders on O-line.
But if Maui Nua is here on the board at six, I think it's a distinct possibility for the Browns.
At seven, Caleb Downs, safety from Ohio State going to the Commanders.
I've heard the Commanders are interested in edge rushers.
It's an obvious need if you look at their roster.
But Caleb Downs is a unique player.
He would also be helpful for that Commanders roster.
It's been a long time, 10 years, since a safety, a pure safety, has gone to the top 10 of the NFL draft.
But if there was going to be a year for it, and a year with a lot of top quarterback prospects staying in college, and a unique player like Caleb Downs in the mix, it could happen.
And perhaps it'll be number seven to the Commanders.
Number eight, New Orleans Saints, Carnell Tate, wide receiver Ohio State.
He didn't have blazing fast time in his 40-yard dash at the combine, but he wasn't expected to.
He's not a track guy.
But his ability to change directions, get open, and catch practically everything thrown his way makes him an intriguing prospect.
He just had a solid career at Ohio State.
Go back and look at his tape.
He's There's third and six, and he gets open seven yards out.
You know he's making that catch if you get the ball to him.
And that can help you big time in an NFL offense.
So anyway, Tate to the Saints at eight.
My reaction to the latest mock draft from Nate Davis of USA Today.
At number nine, Kansas City Chiefs, Mansour Delane, corner from LSU.
Nate says that Mansour Delaine almost certainly the premier corner available this year.
And Delaine's been on the top of most evaluator lists I've seen as of late.
And here he goes to the Chiefs at nine.
The Chiefs are going to make some tough decisions very soon.
I would that salary cap.
Of course, the Chiefs back on the board as well at number 29 thanks to the trade they made with the Los Angeles Rams.
And it should be noted that the trade that they the Chiefs made to get the number 29 pick give it to McDuffie.
Outstanding corner.
But again, Kansas City is in salary cap crunch mode here.
But if you can get an elite corner like Delaine at nine, and most of the projections to this point have had Delaine going at like 11 or maybe 10 to Cincinnati.
But here he goes at nine because suddenly that's a major need for the Chiefs.
And a position that's not exactly easy to fill.
At 10, speaking of the Bengals, here they are getting Reuben Bain Jr., edge rusher from Miami.
I don't understand some analysts that have docked Bain for his arm length.
Were you not paying attention at all the past six months or even longer than that for that matter?
This was never a question.
It was never in doubt.
You get Bain because he is relentless.
He's powerful.
He's a tremendous pass rusher.
He's a three-down defensive end.
And in the right system, I don't care if you want to call him T-Rex, his arms aren't 31 inches, so you don't use a top 10 pick on him.
I say forget that.
Bain has tremendous intensity, that motor, and he's most importantly very effective.
Anyway, here he goes to the Bengals at 10.
At 11, Nate Davis says Spencer Fautanu, offensive tackle, Utah.
We'll see what the Dolphins do in free agency.
They can go with that pseudo best player available because there's a sliding scale with that whole best player available thing.
Of course, positional need, perceived availability in later rounds, etc.
Fautanu has been talked about as a possible top five or even top three NFL Draft prospect.
Perhaps more realistic of a range is maybe from this spot down to say Detroit at 17.
But of course, once free agency hits, all these perceptions, beliefs, and anticipations are going to change.
Way it goes every year.
At 12, Dallas Cowboys Jer'Zhan Newton McCoy from Tennessee.
It's interesting for Dallas.
I think they would take Mansour Delane if he's on the board here, but he's not.
They would take Sedrick Van Pran or Caleb Downs, but they're not there either.
So they get McCoy, who tore an ACL in one of his knees in January of last year, didn't play at all last season, didn't run at the combine.
He needs to go through and do a full workout at pro day in Knoxville, show that he's fully healthy and good to go cuz he's not shown that yet.
He's going to start getting dropped from first round draft boards here if that doesn't happen.
I can just tell you that right now.
I'm starting to see that slide a bit on certain analyst boards.
But for now, look, if he's healthy, he's one of the best corners as far as the way the evaluators see it in the draft.
He had a great 2024 year.
Dallas gets McCoy at 12.
Number 13, the LA Rams.
Remember they traded the number 29 pick.
And so, McDuffie fills a need at corner.
Here they get Denzel Boston.
6'4" receiver, University of Washington.
This would be rather high for Boston compared with the some other prognostications.
But, it also reveals that there's not just like a top three list of wide receivers and then fall on the rest of them.
Some people like Boston better than others.
As you'll have with most players, but here it's the Rams getting the 6'4" Denzel Boston at 13.
At 14, here we go.
Las Vegas Raiders that they just got on Friday night trading Max Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens.
Here they get Makai Lemon, receiver, Southern Cal.
That would be interesting for the Raiders if you get Mendoze at one.
You come back at 14.
And they get one of the top wide receiver prospects, Makai Lemon.
Very sure-handed.
I believe he only had one drop all of last season.
An electric playmaker.
Doesn't have the size of somebody like Denzel Boston, but he's a difference-maker.
And he would be a difference-maker for the Raiders at 14.
My reaction to the latest mock draft from Nate Davis of USA Today.
I'm going to go through the DKDB.
I imagine a lot of these mocks will get updated or new versions will be put out before too long for a lot of them to reflect the trade that happened between Las Vegas and Baltimore.
But, 16, this is interesting.
Nate Davis says the New York Jets pick safety Dylan Theineman from Oregon.
It's not a surprise that Thielenman would go in this range.
Mid first seems reasonable for a safety that ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine.
That was really eye-opening.
And now, running a sub-440 does not guarantee a safety a first-round slot.
Look at Kevin Byard from last year.
And look at what Seattle did trading up in the second round with the Titans, drafting Byard and winning a Super Bowl.
Anyway, but Thielenman is a solid player.
He was a good player at Purdue, good player at Oregon.
And think about it, they used to classify more free safety and strong safety.
Some of that's kind of changed the way the sport has evolved.
Wherever you want to line him up there in that secondary, Thielenman, a solid player.
Be a great addition to the Jets at 16.
At 17, Detroit Lions, Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle, Georgia.
I like that possibility.
And as Nate Davis notes here, Taylor Decker questioned if Decker would be back.
Decker says, "Intending to return this season, but you never know." Plus, with offensive line, you're going to need some depth.
That's just the way it works.
Freeling had a tremendous showing at the NFL combine.
He was already getting talked as a late first-rounder.
His performance in Indianapolis, I believe, has moved him up into where this range might be a little bit more realistic, if not even higher.
I've seen as high as Cleveland at number six.
Anyway, it's Freeling to the Lions here at 17.
At 18, Nate Davis has Caleb Banks, defensive lineman, Florida, to the Vikings.
Banks is just a tremendous athlete.
Only played in two games last season due to injury.
When he's healthy, he's a disruptive force.
And like most defensive tackles you'll see considered for round one, he's really good at pressured the quarterback from an interior defensive line position.
There's only a finite number of people that can do that effectively.
Banks is one of them, and here he goes to Minnesota at 18.
At 19, we're going back-to-back defensive tackles here.
Peter Woods from Clemson going to Carolina.
Carolina could use a defensive tackle.
I like the idea here.
Woods is weighed in at under 300 lb at the combine.
So, he's lighter than your typical defensive tackle, but he's exceptionally quick.
I mean, really fast.
That first step, and that helps him a lot as far as being able to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
Now, he might seem as a liability against the run to some degree, but remember the NFL tilting more and more and more in favor of passing games and passing defenses.
If you can pressure the quarterback effectively as a defensive lineman, so your team's not having to blitz as much, that makes a huge difference in the modern NFL.
And here the Panthers go with Woods at 19.
At 20, Nate Davis says T.J.
Parker, Clemson, to the Dallas Cowboys.
I like this.
I think the Cowboys at 12, whether it's Man Sor Adebayo, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, any number of possibilities up there at 12.
Maybe even a Ruben Bain Jr.
type if he were to slide.
Uh, but if that doesn't happen, or as Bain sliding, then the Cowboys will have options here at 20 to go with an edge rusher.
It's a major need.
They were big-time players in the talks for Max Crosby.
Baltimore was willing to give up two first-round picks to get him.
Dallas was not, thus Dallas now in a spot where it still needs to find that elite edge rusher.
Anyway, T.J.
Parker, great talent.
Clemson's defense was just down last season for whatever reason.
Productivity not what it was before.
But then at the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Parker impressed people.
He's an elite edge rusher.
He'd be great for the Cowboys at 20 if he's on the board here.
He might not make it at 20.
At 21, look at this, Jordan Tice is still on the board.
Pittsburgh.
That would be interesting.
There's a lot of talk Pittsburgh will go receiver.
We'll see about Aaron Rodgers if he's going to come back for another year.
To be determined.
I've heard that Pittsburgh does not have Tice Simpson as a first-rounder.
Now, who knows what's real and what's not and opinions can change, of course, but we'll see.
But I can tell you this, the Steelers need help at receiver.
Jordan Tice and he would be going higher than this if there weren't concerns about injuries because that's been an issue.
When he's healthy, he's one of the most dynamic playmakers in this entire draft.
I'll tell you, go back and watch highlights from the Arizona State game against Texas Tech last season.
And what Jordan Tice did in that game against a great Texas Tech defense.
When he's healthy, just a special talent.
And here he goes to Pittsburgh at 21.
My reaction to this new mock draft from Nate Davis reflecting the Max Crosby trade that happened Friday night.
At 22, Nate Davis says, "One of my favorite player to team matchups in the draft, Venga Ioane, offensive guard, Penn State, to the Los Angeles Chargers." Chargers have a major need on their interior offensive line.
Venga might not be there at 22.
You know, prior to that trade that Baltimore made, there's a lot of talk the Ravens might have considered Venga up at 14.
That's a bit high for a guard to go, but Venga And some might say, "Well, if you count Cain Croc, then maybe he's not the top interior offensive line prospect." But Proctor is a special case.
As far as the traditional guard center types, Venga, he's outstanding.
He'd be a great I know he's not like the the flashy wide receiver or quarterback pick, but he's solid.
And he'd be a good fit with the Chargers at 22.
At 23, now this is interesting.
This is really interesting.
Akheem Mesidor edge rusher from Miami to the Eagles at 23.
That would be something because Mesidor will turn 25 years old before the draft, which is old for an NFL draft prospect, especially a lineman, especially a first-rounder.
Though that said Mesidor really hitting his athletic peak age 25 somebody that can come in and play and contribute right away.
and that's what the Eagles would need.
And it's strange because the Eagles have so many strong parts and pieces.
But they're not that far removed from that Super Bowl win.
And yet of course, the NFL is not for long.
Things change.
Mesidor would be able to provide an excellent edge rushing element to that Eagles defense.
A time where they're still very competitive.
I mean the downside with Mazi Smith, you're drafting somebody that's going to be 30 within 5 years.
You got to remember that, but time waits for no man and here the Eagles with a lot of strong parts on this roster going with Mazi Smith 23.
At 24, Nate Davis says Omar Cooper Jr.
wide receiver from Indiana to the Browns at 24.
So, the Browns up at number six get Nwankwo Okorafor, out of Miami.
And here they fill a wide receiver need.
Omar Cooper Jr.
Hooper has been a riser on these draft boards.
He was a late scratch.
He was actually in my last mock draft and then I had to go and change it after the Rams and Chiefs made that trade where suddenly I take that back actually.
That would be -- It was a different trade.
There were a lot of trades as of late.
It was a Buffalo trade.
They got DJ Moore from Chicago and gave up their second rounder as part of it making me think, "Okay, Buffalo's probably not taking Cooper at number 26." Right there.
We'll get to that in a moment.
25, Chicago Bears, Emmanuel McNeil Warren, safety, Toledo.
Chicago has a lot of different projections, a lot of different thoughts of where they might go.
I hear they get the Is he built at 6'4?
I'm thinking 6'3, but somewhere in that range.
He's tall.
Very tall for a safety if he's really 6'4.
Hard hitter.
You don't see as many smaller school guys getting first round talk anymore.
And NIL changed things.
These big universities have big money.
But here Emmanuel McNeil Warren been a big-time riser in this whole and this whole gauntlet these players have to go through.
We're not done by him.
By his side here.
It's looking at the late April.
The McNeil Warren to the Bears at 25 is the projection here in the latest mock draft from Nate Davis of USA Today.
26.
This interests me because it's Keldric Faulk sliding to number 26.
So Buffalo which needs an edge rusher.
This would be a nice pick up for the Bills.
Now Faulk didn't have flashy numbers last season at Auburn.
He is a legit edge rusher defensive end.
He's got the size where you can have him out there on likely running plays and he's not going to be a liability against the run.
So here the Bills They They get their receiver with DJ Moore and here that was via trade and here via the draft they get Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk at 26.
Number 27 San Francisco 49ers Caleb Lomu Utah.
And we'll see what happens with the 49ers and Trent Williams.
Even if you can squeeze one more year out of him.
I like the idea of having Lomu in there.
I mean you're going to need depth anyway.
And one who can play a variety of spots.
But let's say you keep Williams for one more year.
Okay, great.
Then what?
Here you've got Lomu's young.
He was only a redshirt sophomore.
So he had two years of college eligibility.
He'll be able to go pro.
The expectation that Lomu would go late first in all likelihood.
And here he goes to the 49ers at number 27.
At 28 Houston Texans Blake Miller offensive tackle Clemson.
Miller's got a lot of talk to be a possible first round offensive lineman.
This is you tell you to Max Eichenberg below there with the Chiefs.
A lot of projections about offensive lineman going in this first round.
So, Miller to the Texans, which would fill a need for Houston, and then the Chiefs at 29.
Eichenberg's interesting.
He didn't start playing the sport until 2021.
So, a relative newcomer.
Tremendous athleticism.
Good player for Ohio or for Arizona State.
And here the Chiefs with the pick they got from the Rams.
Take offensive tackle Max Eichenberg 29.
At 30, Nate Davis has KC Concepcion.
Texas A&M wide receiver to the Denver Broncos.
As Nate notes, Conception has got that elite short area burst and quickness.
Major plus.
And I think Conception was able to prove that he does have the ability to catch the ball.
He didn't have the drops that were sometimes attributed to him during his workouts at the combine.
He looked a bit more sure-handed there.
And again, that short area burst, when you're trying to get open in 3 seconds or less, that's a great trait to have.
And here, Nate Davis says the Broncos take Conception at 30.
Number 31, the New England Patriots, Caeden Proctor.
Offensive tackle, Alabama.
You'll see Proctor projected all over the place.
6' 7", weighed in at north of 350 lbs, 352.
According to Nate, offensive line would be an obvious spot of potential consideration here for the Patriots.
Look at how many offensive linemen are going in this first round.
And finally, oh, this is perhaps the most interesting of them.
Jadarian Price, running back Notre Dame, going to the Seattle Seahawks.
Kenneth Walker III, Super Bowl MVP.
You know what happens when you win a Super Bowl and your free agents get big money offers elsewhere.
And so, if Walker goes, running back will be a need.
It would be interesting to see how Jadarian Price would fit in that Seattle offense.
To have two running backs taken, both from the same university, Notre Dame.
Jeremiah Love got a lot of the attention, but Jadarian Price is legit as well.
And that's who Nate Davis has the Seattle Seahawks taking at number 32.
All right, so I wanted to get that update in.
I want to talk about the Max Crosby trade.
Be sure to check out the DKDB.
Keep this thing updated, especially this time of year.
Daily, multiple times a day, even.
Look at my latest videos.
And if you don't already, please subscribe on YouTube.
