The Super Bowl is complete, so now it’s a good time to look at the NFL draft. With the game over, every team now knows exactly when it will be picking come April. The draft will begin with the Las Vegas Raiders, and round one will end with the Seattle Seahawks picking. Here’s what might happen.
NFL mock draft after Super Bowl
Picks 1-8
The Las Vegas Raiders will select Fernando Mendoza with the first pick. This has been pretty much a foregone conclusion since they locked in the first pick in Week 18. They need a quarterback.
After that, the New York Jets will nab Arvell Reese. He’s one of the top-rated players on every big board, and the Jets just need talent everywhere. Aaron Glenn is a defensive head coach, so he grabs a star defender.
Up next, the Arizona Cardinals will nab Jordyn Tyson. They need a lot of things, but providing more weapons for the quarterback and new offensive head coach Mike LaFleur will be good, even if wide receiver isn’t a glaring hole.
The Tennessee Titans will follow suit with their own wide receiver: Carnell Tate. They badly need to find a weapon for Cam Ward, and giving him arguably the best receiver in this class will do wonders in year two.
The New York Giants will take Spencer Fano. They have their franchise quarterback, a good running back, and a solid WR corps. They need to make sure Jaxson Dart, who missed some games with injury, stays healthy.
On some big boards, Reuben Bain Jr. is the best player, so the Cleveland Browns take him sixth overall. The edge rusher will be unblockable opposite Myles Garrett.
The Washington Commanders need an edge, so they’ll kick themselves that Bain didn’t fall. Getting David Bailey as a consolation prize is pretty solid, and it gives them a truly foundational piece.
The New Orleans Saints officially make it a run on edge rushers by taking Keldric Faulk with the eighth overall pick. They don’t have a ton of glaring holes on offense, and their defense was good but can be better.
Picks 9-16
The Kansas City Chiefs were bad in large part because they couldn’t run the ball. Ninth overall is steep for a running back, but Jeremiyah Love is excellent.
The Cincinnati Bengals can go best player available here, but an IDL is more valuable than a safety, so they’re going with Peter Woods, who is the next-best available.
The Miami Dolphins have a lot of needs, and cornerback is a big one. Jermod McCoy was hurt last year, but the cornerback is as talented as anyone in this class at his position when healthy.
Finally, Caleb Downs’ slide ends. The Dallas Cowboys badly need help at every spot on defense, including safety, so they can afford to get arguably the best defender in the draft with the 12th overall pick.
The Los Angeles Rams don’t need a wide receiver, but Davante Adams isn’t getting any younger. Plus, giving the reigning MVP Adams, Puka Nacua, and Makai Lemon is just unfair.
The Baltimore Ravens have added some cornerbacks recently, but not all of them have panned out. Plus, Marlon Humphrey isn’t getting younger, so Mansoor Delane is a perfect selection with the 14th pick.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick Sonny Styles, nabbing the second-best linebacker in the class and giving them a good presence in the middle for when Lavonte David slows down.
The Jets need a QB, but it’s much more feasible to land Alabama QB Ty Simpson here than taking him second overall. This gives them what they need at better value.
NFL Picks 17-24
The Detroit Lions could use a tackle. Fortunately, the best player available is Francis Mauigoa, one of the top tackle prospects at 17.
The Minnesota Vikings could use a tight end (and more help for JJ McCarthy to grow), and Kenyon Sadiq happens to be the best player on the board and the best tight end by a wide margin.
The Carolina Panthers have a few holes, but they can’t address most of them here. Instead, they add major depth to the secondary and draft Clemson CB Avieon Terrell.
The Cowboys still need a ton of help on defense. This time, though they add linebacker CJ Allen to give them a bona fide stud in the middle to stop the run and cover tight ends.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must continue beefing up the interior of their defense, so drafting Ohio State interior defensive lineman Kayden McDonald is a good choice.
The Los Angeles Chargers have to do the inverse and beef up the interior of their offensive line. Protecting Justin Herbert is a must, and drafting guard Olaivavega Ioane will help.
The Philadelphia Eagles are all about the trenches, and they happen to have a need at offensive tackle. Adding Kadyn Proctor with the 23rd NFL pick makes too much sense.
Whoever plays QB for the Cleveland Browns, he needs someone to throw to. Enter Boston College wide receiver Denzel Boston, who will give them a reliable pass-catcher out wide.
Picks 25-32
The Chicago Bears have been all about adding protection for Caleb Williams, and it paid off last year. Why not go back to the well and draft tackle Caleb Lomu?
The Buffalo Bills need a wide receiver before anything else. They unfortunately missed out on a few great prospects, but adding KC Concepcion here will do wonders for Josh Allen.
The San Francisco 49ers couldn’t rush the passer without Nick Bosa or Mykel Williams healthy, so adding Clemson edge T.J. Parker will give them not only an elite trio but valuable depth and insurance.
The Houston Texans must find a way to protect C.J. Stroud, so perhaps it is a little bit of a reach here, but they should take Monroe Freeling, Georgia OT, to do just that.
The Los Angeles Rams’ cornerbacks were atrocious in 2025. Drafting South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse will absolutely shore up their biggest weakness.
The Denver Broncos have no major needs on defense, so they can afford to take a flyer on Caleb Banks, a superbly talented but injured defensive tackle.
The New England Patriots need a lot despite making the Super Bowl, but the best options are off the edge. Fortunately, that is something they could use more of, so they pick Cashius Howell.
What for the Super Bowl champions? They could use a cornerback to replace Riq Woolen, and getting Tennessee corner Colton Hood is a nice pick.
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