The McShay Mock Draft

There will be early growing pains, similar to what we saw in 2025 at Indiana as he adjusted to a new scheme. But as his processing speeds up—and as Kubiak tailors the offense to his strengths while working around his limitations (inconsistent middle-field accuracy, vulnerability to quick interior pressure)—this should be a strong fit.

Credit John Spytek, too. Despite a rocky free agency period and the fallout from the Maxx Crosby situation, he’s positioned the Raiders for a significant roster upgrade. The 2026 group should look dramatically better than what Vegas put on the field in Week 1 of 2025.

Hats off to Darren Mougey and the Jets’ personnel staff. They’ve executed a disciplined teardown/rebuild plan—moving veteran holdovers for premium draft capital and stockpiling eight picks in the first two rounds over the next two drafts. That includes two first-rounders this year and three in 2027’s loaded QB class.

They’ve also been selective in free agency, targeting scheme fits to establish an identity. Now comes the next phase: building out the roster before taking a big swing at quarterback in 2027 (Arch Manning, Dante Moore).

Mauigoa (6 feet, 5 1/2 inches and 329 pounds) moves people in the run game, and he’s a pretty awesome athlete for his size. With Tyler Allgeier joining James Conner (returning from injury), the Cardinals are building a physical, downhill identity. Locking in the OL now sets the foundation for a future QB addition—whether that’s Ty Simpson this year or someone from the stronger 2027 class.

The other surprise here is Bain over David Bailey, and it comes down to fit. With Jermaine Johnson in place as the wide-9 rusher, HC Robert Saleh is looking for a nasty tone setter up front. Bain provides that physical edge setting with pass rush disruption. If Borgonzi and Saleh can look past the short arms, Bain feels like a perfect fit.

If you’re drafting a back this high, he needs to be a weapon—and Love is. With excellent speed (4.36 40), natural hands, and a real route-running ability, he gives Jaxson Dart a true explosive outlet.

This would signal a clear offensive vision: build around the run game and play-action, similar to how Baltimore developed around Lamar Jackson. Pairing Love with Cam Skattebo (pre-injury form) and Tyrone Tracy Jr. gives the Giants a deep, versatile backfield capable of carrying the offense and maximizing Dart’s strengths.

The Browns appear to be punting on QB until 2027, which gives them a year to see what they have in Shedeur Sanders and possibly even Deshaun Watson. It’s a smart decision, given the state of their roster (it’s in no position to support another young QB in 2026) and the depth of next year’s quarterback class, which includes Manning, Moore, Sorsby, Sellers, Leavitt, Carr, and Sayin, among others. 

Tate may not be as talented as past top-10 WR prospects (think Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, or Ja’Marr Chase), but he’s an ascending player with size, length, physicality, and contested-catch ability—traits that almost always translate to high-level NFL production. He would be an awesome complement to Jerry Jeudy.

On the field, Styles (a former safety) has elite cover skills, and while his pass rush production and efficiency often get overlooked, the 2024 tape is pretty damn good. He’s everything you look for in a versatile, dynamic chess piece at linebacker in today’s NFL. 

He’s also the type of focused, intelligent grinder who will be a culture fit wherever he lands. Styles could go as high as no. 2 to the Jets and I wouldn’t think it’s too early.

He’s not a perfect prospect, though. The questions about Bailey’s run defense are legitimate—he has a linear build, gets pushed around at the point of attack too easily at times, and doesn’t always play with ideal gap discipline—but there’s enough upside to justify the selection. 

While getting QB Tyler Shough a young playmaker on the perimeter opposite Chris Olave is a priority, it will have to wait until Round 2, when there should be plenty of options available from an exceptionally deep WR class.

There are also whispers about Jeremiyah Love being the pick if he’s still available. An edge like Rueben Bain Jr. or David Bailey would also be in play if they’re still on the board, as would a tackle such as Spencer Fano.

He’s excellent at noticing formation tendencies, has a sixth sense for locating the ball, and attacks with good angles/leverage. 

His experience wearing multiple hats under three different coordinators in college (one at Alabama, two at Ohio State) will benefit him in a “multiple” league starved for defensive chess pieces.

Lemon was a three-year player and two-year starter at USC who improved year over year and racked up 1,920 receiving yards across his final two seasons. He’s tough as nails on contested catches, his ball skills are outstanding, and he’s a super-advanced route runner. Lemon posted 3.00-plus career yards per route run versus both man and zone coverage; the only others to do so in college since 2021 are Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Waddle, Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, and D’Wayne Eskridge.

The problem with McCoy is that he hasn’t competed since 2024 due to an ACL tear suffered in January 2025. He didn’t participate in the Senior Bowl and did not work out at the combine. But if the Cowboys are comfortable with his progression (and he’s apparently 100 percent right now), he would be a massive addition to an underwhelming cornerback group.

Tyson is a tall, tightly packed, and versatile receiver with dynamic route-running skills, and he vastly improved his contested-catch ability (66.7 percent contested catch rate and 1.6 percent drop rate in 2025) during his time working with ASU WR coach (and former Steelers great) Hines Ward. Durability will be the big question with Tyson, but when healthy, he’s the most talented receiver in the class.

The Utah tackle is one of the top three offensive linemen in the class. His short arms (32 7/8 inches at pro day and 32 1/8 inches at the combine, the type of disparity that has become common among many prospects the past two years) have caused concerns about his ability to play on the perimeter in the NFL. For Baltimore, a pretty great fallback would be converting Fano to center (following Tyler Linderbaum’s departure), where I think he’d be elite. Wide receiver could also be in play here if one of those top three guys is still on the board.

There’s so much violence and tenaciousness on tape, and he loves being on the field (played a whopping 878 snaps in 2025). Plus, I like that he played his most impactful ball in the CFP, recording 5.5 sacks in four games.

His ball skills are elite (just five drops in three seasons), he shows no fear over the middle, and he performs best in big moments, like the game-winning touchdown catch against Penn State. His combination of lower-body strength and body control makes him a difficult tackle after the catch, evidenced by 27 missed tackles forced in 2025. 

Among left tackle prospects in this draft class, Freeling stands out as the guy. He’s 6 feet, 7 3/8 inches and 315 pounds, with prototypical arms (34 3/4 inches) and massive hands (10 3/4 inches). He brings elite movement skills (4.93 40) and impressive lower-body explosion (33.5-inch vertical, fourth best among offensive linemen).

He offers a rare blend of size, speed, explosiveness, instincts, and ball production. His combine performance—highlighted by a 4.35 40, 41-inch vertical, and 10-foot-5-inch broad jump—was nothing short of sensational, and his interviews were equally impressive, according to multiple NFL sources.

Miller is a plug-and-play starter as one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the class. He won’t wow you with athleticism on tape, but he’s a long tackle with loads of starting experience. Folks inside the Clemson football building swear by this guy, too. He’s the bar setter in terms of focus, dedication, and work ethic—three qualities that GM Dan Morgan values greatly.

Parker is a long-armed bulldozer off the edge. Despite a dip in production, two things stood out on his 2025 tape: First, his pass rush toolbox improved from 2024; he showed more effective swipes, better timing, and a willingness to mix in spin moves. Second, his effort never wavered. He helped reverse the narrative with an excellent week at the Senior Bowl, and his 4.68-second 40 time at 6 feet, 3 5/8 inches and 263 pounds only adds to the positive momentum.

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In this case, 18 teams (with 20 picks) passing on Ioane would be a blessing for the Steelers, who just lost Isaac Seumalo in free agency.

He’s one of the youngest prospects in the 2026 class, and his motor runs hot on every snap. There are shades of Rashan Gary and Arik Armstead in his game—highly talented college players whose pass rush production lagged behind their traits before blossoming at the next level.

With Khalil Mack nearing the end of his career at 35, this would be an ideal time to bring a young, developmental talent into the fold.

Proctor is a traits-based prospect whose tape improved during his time at Alabama. While there’s still work to be done with his balance and hand placement (especially in pass pro), offensive tackle is the most traits-based position in the draft. It’s hard to come by an experienced left tackle who is 6 feet, 6 5/8 inches and 325 pounds, has nearly 34-inch arms, runs a 5.21 40, and shows lower-body explosion with a 32.5-inch vertical jump.

Even while sharing a line with Spencer Fano, Lomu was the starting left tackle at Utah, so he won’t need to change positions at the next level. And with the Browns solidifying the other four offensive line spots through trades and free agency, he’ll be stepping into a relatively stable situation. Lomu also brings intriguing athletic traits, highlighted by a 4.99 40-yard dash, a 32.5-inch vertical, and 9-foot-5-inch broad jump at the combine. If he develops as expected, he could be a key piece of the Browns’ future.

McNeil-Warren has elite height (6034) and length (32 ⅛-inch arm, 78 ¼-inch wingspan) with a tightly packed frame. His lack of elite top-end speed, lower level of competition, and a 2024 shoulder injury will come under the microscope, but he dominated in college with a mix of NFL size, smooth athleticism, fast eyes, toughness, and confidence—both as a tackler and when the ball is in the air.

Young may lack ideal bend and flexibility, and his sack production hasn’t yet matched what NFL teams typically look for, but his traits, flashes of ability, and developmental upside stand out. He’s a big, long, and powerful edge defender who plays with strength and physicality. Young also brings a high-energy presence and clear love for the game. He chose to play in Missouri’s bowl game while many top prospects opted out, then followed it up with a strong week at the Senior Bowl. 

Bradley Chubb is a solid addition, but durability has been an issue, and he turns 30 this summer. Building a three-man rotation with Chubb, Greg Rousseau, and Young becomes especially important in a division featuring Drake Maye and in a conference loaded with quarterbacks.

Sadiq is still developing as a route runner, and his production at Oregon was somewhat inconsistent. However, his speed-explosion profile is outstanding (4.39 40, 43.5-inch vertical, 11-foot broad), and he projects as a big-play chess piece that Shanahan could maximize. He also brings value as a powerful, physical blocker with a noticeable mean streak.

McDonald’s far more than just a two-gapping space eater, though. On a loaded Ohio State defense filled with NFL talent, he finished fifth on the team with 65 tackles—just four fewer than Arvell Reese and three fewer than Caleb Downs. While his sack production in Columbus wasn’t eye-popping, there’s clear room for growth as a pass rusher.

I’m higher on Jacas than most—and I’m comfortable with that. He’s a throwback: a four-year player and three-year starter who improved each season, culminating in 19 sacks and seven forced fumbles over his final two years.

As a pass rusher, his game is built on heavy hands, core strength, instincts, and a blend of relentless motor and toughness. His gap discipline against the run is still developing, but he made noticeable strides in 2025. When given opportunities, he’s a true disruptor and finisher.

At 5 feet, 11 5/8 inches and 193 pounds, Hood is a fluid man-to-man cover corner with verified 4.44 speed and a 40.5-inch vertical.

And honestly, his lack of length rarely showed up on tape. His standout trait is his ability to corner tightly at high speed. He plays with violence, burst (4.59 40, elite 1.58 10-yard split at the combine), and rare change-of-direction quickness.

It’s not a perfect comp, but the fit makes a lot of sense given the success Mike Vrabel has had with undersized edge rushers like Harold Landry III—first in Tennessee and now in New England.

Concepcion has just adequate size but he could make an immediate impact. He uncovers in a flash in the short to intermediate passing game and excels with the ball in his hands after the catch, as a runner, and in the return game.