Hello friends, it's your buddy Lou Pickney with you here with a DKDB update.
April 10th, 2026 the best of the best in the DKDB.
My human curated, expert curated 2026 NFL mock draft database.
Bunch of recent mocks in there.
Putting a brand new one from yours truly.
I'll go through here in just a moment.
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At number one, Armando Mendoza, quarterback from Indiana.
It would be a major shock the likes of which we have not seen in many, many years if Mendoza is not the pick at number one.
Like maybe a notch below Andrew Luck going to the Colts many years ago.
A foregone conclusion even if they can't say it ahead of time.
Mendoza won the national championship at Indiana University when the Heisman Trophy.
See what he can do at the NFL level.
At two, Arvell Reese, linebacker {slash} edge, Ohio State.
One of several unique players in that Ohio State defense that can fill a variety of roles.
Has legitimate ability to play both off-ball linebacker and edge rusher at an elite level.
But it's his edge rushing that would get him taken at number two overall.
Now, it's not a lock the Jets are going to do this.
That's at this point what the expectation is it would be Arvell Reese or possibly David Bailey, edge from Texas Tech.
Number three, Arizona Cardinals, Francis Mauigoa, offensive tackle, Miami Hurricanes.
The Cards need a right offensive tackle.
There's some thought that they might take Texas Tech edge David Bailey here at three.
A lot of talk that the Cards could possibly trade back.
A lot of talk about the Cardinals possibly having a deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
But it's all talk until it really happens.
It's possible that teams looking to trade up might only want one specific player.
I think if the Jets took David Bailey at two, I wonder if the Cardinals would be more inclined to take Reese at three versus the other way around.
I'm not sure.
A lot of intrigue with that.
But there's an obvious need for the Cardinals at right offensive tackle.
Mauigoa, solid performer at the spot for the Hurricanes.
I'll have more on the Cardinals here in a bit.
At four, my hometown Tennessee Titans.
The easy way here David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech.
As I laid out, this is hardly a guarantee for the Titans that he'll be there.
The whispers you hear are that the Titans like Bailey and Reese, understandably so.
A lot of whispers that it won't be Ruben Bain Jr.
The Titans like Carnell Tate, wide receiver from Ohio State, but don't want to take him at four.
Adam Schefter seems adamant thinking that Jeremiah Love's not going to the Titans at four, although a lot of people still think that.
That's very interesting, something to keep an eye on as far as the draft goes.
And the question for the Titans is if they've got a choice between Bailey and Love, they're taking Bailey.
If Bailey's gone, then do you take Love?
Does Sonny Styles come into the mix?
A lot of unanswered questions, but in this one it works out a bit easier.
The Titans get Bailey at four.
At five, here's Sonny Styles, linebacker from Ohio State to the New York Giants.
Styles began his career in Columbus as a safety in that Ohio State defense.
I really do think that when people look back, particularly the championship team 2024, but how they managed to somehow get several unique talents on defense that are able to play multiple positions at elite levels.
It really speaks well for what Ohio State did from a recruiting standpoint and a player development standpoint as well.
We'll see the Giants go with Styles at five.
That's seems the most likely scenario at this point, although a lot still to be determined, obviously.
At six, Cleveland Browns.
Carnell Tate, wide receiver, Ohio State.
It's interesting with the Browns because they have the number six and the number They need a wide receiver and need in their offensive line.
There's talk that the Browns might like to trade back from here, maybe.
Perhaps get Spencer Fano, offensive tackle out of Utah.
But here they stick at number six, get Carnell Tate.
He's very reliable, at least he was at Ohio State, Tate.
Remarkably gifted at getting open and catching practically anything you throw his way.
Doesn't have that ultra high-end track speed, but you're okay with that.
He'll get open and he's reliable.
At seven, the Washington Commanders get Jeremiah Love, running back from Notre Dame.
On essentially every list as far as big boards go from evaluators, the top running back, Jeremiah Love.
Now, the possibility of Love going top five, top 10 is really in large part because of his ability as a receiver out of the backfield and the potential that he provides, that teams perceive that he provides in ways that other running backs simply can't.
It would be very interesting to see Love in that Commanders offense.
The Commanders spent some money in free agency on that defense, so I think it's a viable option here.
That's what I have for Washington at seven.
At eight, New Orleans Saints.
Makai Lemon, wide receiver, USC.
Lemon had a great 2025 season for the Trojans.
He had one drop all season.
Explosive player, he'd be a good fit in that New Orleans offense.
Another name you'll hear mentioned quite a bit is Jordan Tyson, wide receiver from Arizona State.
There's some questions about Tyson's injury history, concerns about that.
Now, there are conflicting whispers as far as how certain teams perceive Lemon.
Well, there was at least some indication coming out of the combine that not all of his interviews went great.
But this time of year you'll hear a lot of different perceptions and whispers and rumors.
But the latest talk I've been hearing is that Lemon going top 10 is a distinct possibility.
The Saints, it makes a lot of sense.
The Saints could go with Ruben Bain Jr.
here.
They could go with an edge rusher.
I've got him going with Makai Lemon at number eight.
Number nine, Mansour Delane, corner, LSU, going to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Delane had a great 2025 season for LSU despite the Tigers having an overall down year.
Brian Kelly got fired.
Delane was a transfer from Virginia Tech.
Really solidified himself as far as his NFL prospects went.
If he would have gone pro after 2024, he would have not have gone anywhere near this high.
The Chiefs have not drafted at number nine or top 10 in several years.
They've been very good for the last several years.
But here the number nine pick, there's some talk Kansas City might want to try to trade up, get an edge rusher depending on who slides, but in this case they stick at nine, get their choice the entire quarterback class.
Here it's Mansour Delane from LSU.
At 10, Cincinnati.
Caleb Downs, safety, Ohio State.
Been 10 years since a pure safety has gone in the top 10 of the NFL draft.
But this is if it's going to happen in the next few years, this is the year and this is the player.
Caleb Downs had a lot of hype coming into last season and that can be sometimes detrimental.
But Downs handled the pressure and the attention.
Started his career at Alabama, transferred to Ohio State, part of that great championship team Buckeyes had 2024.
Had a their year last season.
Here the Cincinnati Bengals get Caleb Downs at 10.
At 11, Jermod McCoy, corner from Tennessee to the Miami Dolphins.
The big thing for McCoy was that workout he had at Tennessee's pro day in Knoxville.
And he went out there, had a great showing.
McCoy suffered a torn ACL in one of his knees in January of last year.
He didn't play at all last season, but he had a great 2024.
And he put on a great show in Knoxville and proved to people that look, he's back to full health.
Sports medicine's come a long way.
And so McCoy, he could potentially be the first corner selected.
There's a first chance outside chance he could be the first defensive back.
I I don't count it out with McCoy that he could go ahead of Downs.
I'm not saying it will happen or that anything of that sort, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did, just because that demand for corners.
And McCoy showed that he could he looked the part at workout in Knoxville.
So here's the Dolphins getting McCoy at 11.
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Continuing on with my latest mock draft, continuing here with number 12, Dallas.
First of two first round picks that the Cowboys have, at least as of this recording.
Here at 12, while talk Dallas wants to trade up.
It'll be tricky to do that because they do not have a second round pick.
They've got a third, but it's a late third.
Some teams might value picks in next year's draft, but how much do you want to trade the future?
In this case, Dallas doesn't have to move, and they still get Ruben Bain Jr.
I'm a big fan of Bain.
I think he's going to be a strong addition wherever he ends up.
He's that intensity, that motor, brings that full effort on every play.
Question of his arm length and just the historical lack of performance for players at edge rusher with shorter than 31-in arms.
But these NFL teams are well aware of that, and they're still looking to use a first round pick on Bain.
He's really good.
So for Dallas at 12, they get Bain, or they trade up to get him, or I'll just sit at 12, and perhaps Bain falls to him there.
At 13, Los Angeles Rams, Jordan Addison, wide receiver, Arizona State.
Addison has This will be very late in the cycle, but Addison's going to have a private workout coming up.
It'll be open to scouts and the sort.
Show off to these teams that he's whatever level healthy he is, whatever he can do.
Uh to prove that he's going to be ready to go.
And it's too bad that injuries in many ways have defined Addison's career, because when he's healthy, he's just spectacular.
He really made a major impression on me last season at the Texas Tech game.
But even then, I already knew that Addison was legit.
And if he proves that he's healthy, go through the workouts and do these comparable, and I think he'll be able to do that.
Wherever he ends up, if he slides, then he's going to be a deal for somebody.
And he's an explosive playmaker in a league that definitely values that.
So we'll see how things go for Addison with that workout.
Here I've got him going to the LA Rams at 13.
At 14, Baltimore Ravens, Vangai Ona.
Offensive guard, Penn State.
A lot of talk the Ravens might consider Kenyon Sadiq, tight end from Oregon.
New options here for the Ravens.
New coaching staff, new approach to things, but offensive guard is a need, to be sure, for the Ravens.
And while it might depend on perhaps certain other players not sliding, which that happens sometimes, the unexpected in the draft might sliding.
Maybe the Ravens are all set to take Vangai, and then somebody they think's going to be long gone shows up.
But here, the Ravens fill their interior offensive line need with one of the top prospects at that position in the draft.
He's not somebody you have to convert from a tackle position.
He's been playing guard for years, had a great career at Penn State.
15, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kalen Devey Faulk.
I went back and forth on this.
Some of the indicators pointed strongly that this might be more the range for Miami edge, Akheem Mesidor.
But earlier this month, Mesidor turned 25 years old.
And I think for a team and I'll show you where I've got Mesidor going later in the first round.
But I think for the Buccaneers, a player like Faulk, got good size, he won't be a liability against the run.
Edge is a need position.
15 is probably too high to take an off-ball linebacker who's not Sunny Styles.
Specifically thinking of C.J.
Allen from Georgia.
Now it's possible, I mean, Allen could go in here at 15 to the Bucks.
Can't rule that out.
But it feels from indicators like, okay, that maybe isn't as likely.
The Bucks know they can get a good off-ball linebacker on day two.
But elite edge rushers, those are tough to come by.
Why do you think Baltimore nearly gave up two first round picks to get Maxx Crosby?
Those elite players, especially young ones, seldom hit the market.
And here I've got the Bucks going with Faulk at 15.
At 16, Kenyon Sadiq, tight end, Oregon to the New York Jets.
Second of two first round picks that the Jets have in this year's draft.
Sadiq, had a really strong showing at the NFL combine, running a sub-4.4 second 40-yard dash, weighing north of 240 lb.
The Jets, there'll be some that will project Ty Simpson here to the Jets, but indications I've heard that that's unlikely.
Good rumors about the Jets and certain wide receivers, maybe not until day two, the high second.
What to consider here with the Jets.
It might It also depends on who slides at other need positions.
Like if Jermod McCoy is still on the board here, Mansoor to late, maybe he slides for whatever reason, well, the Jets might have some options.
17, Caeden Proctor, offensive tackle, Alabama to the Detroit Lions.
A lot of talk the Lions are high on Proctor, and understandably so.
The man is 6'7" and weighs north of 350 lb, and yet he's so athletic that he could legitimately play guard at the NFL level.
But for the Lions, they've got a need at offensive tackle.
And in the right system, I really like the idea of Part of me hopes this happens just to see if it plays out like I think it will, cuz I think that would be a good fit for Proctor.
I think he would fit well with that team.
I think the Lions could could really utilize him well.
He certainly would fill a need.
Uh and if at some point they needed to play guard, he's got that capability as well.
18, Dylan Feamster, safety, Oregon to the Minnesota Vikings.
And we'll see what happens with Harrison Smith in Minnesota.
Been talked to death about whether he's coming back for the 2026 season.
In some ways, I mean, it matters, but you got to think long-term here.
Feamster running that 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine was really something.
And I point out that last year, yes, Nick Cross Amankwah, safety from South Carolina, fell out of the first round.
It really surprised me.
He ran a 4.38 40.
But you look at what happened.
The Tennessee Titans could have had Amankwah in the second round.
That was for a moment or two, there was the Titans feeling, oh, this could be really nice, and then oh, there's a trade.
Oh, there's Seattle.
So Seattle trades up, gets Amankwah.
Like played underrated role in Seattle's victory over the Rams in the NFC Championship game.
The NFL's a copycat league, so seeing Seattle trade up for a uniquely fast safety like Amankwah, it makes it easier to pitch safeties as a first round pick for some of these teams.
It look to work for Seattle, maybe it work for us.
19, Spencer Fano, offensive tackle, Utah to the Carolina Panthers.
Ickey Ekwonu, not expected to play this season.
He had a ruptured patellar tendon.
Okay, that should say tendon.
He's got an injured right knee, put it like that.
Fano's got flexibility, you can play him at guard if need be.
This might be unrealistic to think Fano would still be on the board at 19.
Some see him as a top 10 pick.
There's a lot of talk of Cleveland being interested.
I mean, he could go to Cleveland at six.
I can't entirely rule that out, although the latest indications have pointed toward Carnell Tate.
But if Tate's gone, well, maybe it happens that way.
We'll see.
But here, it works out well for Carolina.
They get Fano.
at number 19.
Hoping for the best for Ickey to get better.
If he comes back and they look, Fano, if they need him to play guard, he can do that.
He's got some versatility.
Be a good pick up if he's there at 19 for the Panthers.
At 20, Avionte Turrell, corner from Clemson to the Dallas Cowboys.
So, Dallas at 12 gets Ruben Bain Jr., edge rusher.
Fills one major need with that, and they come back at 20, they get Turrell, fill another need at corner.
But the big question with Turrell is, can his frame handle the rigors of a 17-game NFL schedule?
The solid performer at Clemson.
Here, I've got him going to the Dallas Cowboys at 20.
21, Pittsburgh Steelers, Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver, Indiana.
As great as Fernando Mendoza was last season, that was helped in large part because of his receivers.
I think the uh Hoosiers receivers are in some way slightly underrated.
Think about how well that Cooper runs routes, and how precise that Mendoza was on his throws.
Made it very difficult to defend IU.
You wonder why they won the national championship?
Well, they had these receivers, very fast, very accurate, especially Cooper with those routes.
Being the right place at the right time.
And we'll see what happens with the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers.
To be determined.
I don't think the Steelers are going to take Ty Simpson.
At least not here.
That's the indicate.
Things can always change.
I can't don't speak in absolutes, you know, but that's They've been a number of indications that the Steelers are not going to go with Simpson at 21.
They have to handle this with some care, remember, because Pittsburgh is hosting the draft this year.
If they're going to take Simpson, it's almost like well, they really can't risk word getting out.
Can't prep the audience, can't smarten up the fans, cuz then you'll smarten up the other teams, and maybe you won't get him.
Anyway, we'll see if that I don't think that's going to happen.
I think they'll take Cooper at 21 if he's there.
Uh he'd be a He'd fill a need.
He'd be a good pick up for the Steelers.
It's somebody running precise routes if you're going to have Aaron Rodgers coming back for one more season.
22, Cade McDonald, defensive tackle, Ohio State, to the LA Chargers.
Might notice a lot of Ohio State players in this first round.
Buckeyes are wrapping it here.
McDonald, one of the best defensive tackles in the draft, if not the best.
Had those eight and a half tackles for loss last season, despite mostly playing nose guard.
Against the center, where it's difficult to get those tackles for loss, and yet he had the athleticism and the ability to do it.
When you can pressure opposing teams, get those tackles for loss from interior defensive line position, that's going to get you a lot of attention from NFL scouts.
Here, I've got the Chargers going to McDonald at 22.
At 23, Blake Miller, offensive tackle, Clemson to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Several different directions the Eagles could go with here, but I mean, Miller is solid.
Brings some consistency if that's the move here for the Eagles at 23.
I wonder what's going to happen with A.J.
Brown.
24, Cleveland Browns.
This is if you believe the rumors that the Browns, along with of course liking Spencer Fano, but also having interest in Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle from Georgia.
Uh this would be a really nice draft for the Browns if what is whispered to be at least being considered is what happens.
If they can get Tate and Freeling, that's a nice one-two combo for night one for the Browns.
Uh Freeling is seen as more of a long-term project, still developing.
But he's got great potential.
He had that really strong showing at the combine.
He's there at 24.
Be a nice pick up for the Browns.
25, Chicago Bears, Emmanuel Moseley Warren, safety from Toledo.
You think about with a safety like Caleb Downs, has a tremendous read-react.
McNeely Warren, he's got that, too, but he's one of those guys you can line up in the box, and the Bears had You can do things to boost your defensive line on day two of the draft.
You'll have some options there if you're the Bears.
But a safety like McNeely Warren, you can play him up a lot in the box to stop the run, but he's also extremely good at lining up against wide receivers.
If that's sideline to sideline, he isn't at the elite ultra high-end speed like Dylan DeAngelo, but still, he's got the size.
You don't get many guys his size with the ability to play safety in the NFL.
So, again, there's a bit of mystery about the what the Bears will do at 25.
Offensive line's a possibility, defensive line's a possibility, but if you see those spots, those players off the board in the positions, those picks before 25, and then here's the Bears.
Perhaps McNeely Warren be the pick here for Chicago.
26, Buffalo Bills, Akheem Mesidor, edge from Miami.
It was noted, Mesidor turned 25 earlier this month, which is old for an NFL draft prospect.
Especially an edge rusher being given first-round consideration.
But Mesidor had a great 2025 season for Miami.
Having Mesidor and Ruben Bain Jr.
as a one-two combo, that was a winning formula there for Miami.
Made it very difficult for opposing offensive lines.
Buffalo's it's going to be a lot less concerned about five years from now.
And they're just making the playoffs, just getting in, that's not good enough.
Buffalo's wanting to get there with Josh Allen, and perhaps adding Mesidor, who in theory could be able to jump in right away, less developmental time needed than maybe some younger prospects at the position.
There's some pros and cons as far as with Mesidor, but he is a unique prospect being 25 years old.
You'll notice that doesn't happen very often with edge rushers.
27, San Francisco 49ers, Casey Conceicao, wide receiver, Texas A&M.
Been a little quieter as of late, but there had I don't know, several weeks ago, there was quite a bit as whispers connecting the 49ers with Conceicao.
And some of that's educated guessing, I would imagine, just based on the needs of the 49ers.
You got to think if they like some of the receivers in this mix, maybe Denzel Boston from Washington.
But Conceicao's got that playmaker ability.
The one knock on him was drops last season, but I think he was able to have a very strong showing as far as being able to hold onto the ball in the work set workouts at the NFL combine.
Here, I've got Conceicao to the 49ers at 27.
28, Houston Texans get Caleb Williams, offensive lineman from Utah.
A young player, a versatile player.
You know that Houston needs on its offensive line.
It would work out very well for the Texans if they could get a high-end blue-chip prospect that could play multiple positions and eventually potentially play long-term at tackle.
Texans with Williams at 28.
29, Kansas City Chiefs back on the board.
I've taken Cash Kalu, edge rusher from Texas A&M.
For all the talk about the arm length for Miami edge, Ruben Bain Jr., Kalu's arms are even shorter than Bain's, but you look at how with two who posted 10 and a half sacks last season for Texas A&M.
With the elite skill against top-level competition.
Edge rusher.
Edge might be a consideration for Kansas City up at number nine.
But if they go with any other position, like I've got them going with a quarter at nine.
Come back here at 29.
There'll be several edge rushers that be talked about in this range.
Here I've got the Chiefs going with Howell at 29.
Projected trade.
As I noted here on screen, you'll see not fond of projecting trades in mocks.
Not a big fan of this, but last year I wanted to I never did do it though as far as with the Giants and Jackson Dart.
It's easy in hindsight to say what I could or couldn't have done, but okay.
This feels similar.
Ty Simpson.
He's was led to believe very strongly that he would be a first-round pick if he came out, but the indication that I've seen all But with I mean Yeah, talking about Simpson in the past.
He grew up in the business.
His father has been a coach at University of Tennessee-Martin over in Martin, Tennessee for many years.
So it's interesting with Simpson, 23 years old, but yet a relatively low number of starts as a college starter.
In some ways he would have benefited from another year in college.
But I think he felt very adamant about wanting to be an Alabama quarterback and like his spot was taken for this upcoming season.
They got quite a bit of talent there.
Lined up with the Crimson Tide.
And considering how relatively weak the quarterback prospects are according to most evaluators in this draft compared to what people are looking toward with next year's draft.
I was Simpson, there won't be need driving things.
It happens every year.
Demand for a quarterback, Arizona moving on from the Kyler Murray era.
Here I've got him trading up.
And part of the reason maybe they could sit sit still at 34 and have Simpson fall to them.
Remember that with a first-round pick a team has a fifth-year option on the contract.
And there's nothing quite so lucrative as an NFL team with an ace quarterback on a rookie contract.
So you want to get that extra year out of it if at all possible.
If you don't think Simpson's going to be worth it, then you shouldn't take him at 30 to begin with.
So there's that.
And again, this is not some sort of massive drop for the Dolphins.
You move from 30 down to 34.
And whatever else makes the trade happen.
It's just more to demonstrate that okay, the Cardinals moving up somewhere.
Maybe it'll be higher than 30.
You don't want to risk it getting too low because I don't think at 32 that Seattle's going to be much of a trade partner.
They're going to say, "We're not going to help you out with that Ty Simpson contract, pal." With the Cardinals and the Seahawks being in the NFC West.
31.
New England Patriots, Zion Young, edge, Missouri.
Really good against the run.
A lot of talk about Young that has been building up over the course of this gauntlet, this pre-draft process.
The WalterFootball talks talked a lot about Zion Young.
Charlie Campbell over there has as well.
This is the range where Young looks to be a distinct possibility, late first, maybe early second, but Patriots stick here at 31, you get Zion Young, edge from Mizzou.
And finally at 32, Seattle Seahawks, Caulton Hood, corner, Tennessee.
The big ask for Hood, transferring in and essentially having to replace the injured Cromartie McCoy as the number one corner for the Vols.
But he lived up to the pressure.
A solid season for the Vols.
If not here, somewhere in this draft, the Seahawks are expected to use a relatively high pick on a corner.
I've been some whispers that maybe a running back out of nowhere here at 32, but I don't know.
I've heard talk there's some people that they could go offensive line, offensive guard.
Will be another leak like last year with Gray Zabel.
We'll see what Seattle does if they go with Caulton Hood here at 32.
All right, so that's the latest as far as my mock draft goes.
You should want to go through and read these various mock drafts, links directly to the respective author and his or her mock draft.
I'll give you a little taste, pick like three names that are of interest, players that are kind of high or kind of low or noteworthy in some way.
Go through and read these.
I'll put the best of the best in the DKDB.
I expert curated human curated 2026 NFL mock draft database.
