Way Too Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft (Part Two)
You never know what's going to happen in the NFL. That's probably the thing I've learned most - expect the unexpected and go from there.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, former NFL player
As promised, here is the second part of the two part NFL Mock Draft series. The first instalment can be found here:
Here is also the full board from the Mock Draft Simulator I used:
17. Earnest Greene III (OT/OG), Houston Texans
Similar to Alabama, it just wouldn’t be an NFL Draft without a Georgia Bulldog selected. Greene will suffer in the pre-draft process because his size suggests he’s going to be a guard at the next level rather than a tackle.
That being said, he could be the best guard in the draft, which would put him in the first round conversation. Positional value here for the Texans is not great, but I know head coach DeMeco Ryans loves himself some Dawgs (I suppose this could be said about half the league at this point).
He’s struggled at times with injury but when he’s healthy he’s been very good at UGA. He also played early and has taken tackle and guard reps throughout his tenure.
Greene was one of the most important recruiting wins in Smart’s tenure at UGA. A change in OL coaches during the 2021-2022 offseason resulted in a very poor OL class for the Dawgs, but they were fortunate enough to salvage that class with a commitment from Greene at the very end of the cycle. He was one of the first prospects to go on record to talk about NIL during his recruitment, stating that one un-named SEC West program told him bluntly “50K” during his recruitment.
An interesting anecdote if only to show how much prices have changed since then. Can you imagine getting an elite OL prospect nowadays for only 50 thousand dollars out of high school? Even if Greene was fibbing, he most likely quoted a number in the region of what he’d been offered during his recruitment from other schools. For context, in the current 2026 cycle, the #1 OT is reportedly commanding between $1.5 to 2 million dollars in ‘NIL’. Things change quickly in CFB…
18. Jalen Kilgore (S), Minnesota Vikings
Imagine a draft where THREE safeties are taken in the first 18 picks. But look, with the way the game is, and how impactful an elite athlete can be back there, why not? Many of the best defences in NFL history had elite safeties. Now, it was also true that they had elite other things (hence being an ‘elite’ defence), but that’s neither here nor there.
It can’t be all QB/EDGE/OT taken in the first round, and it’s not a great year for WRs/CBs (at least, based on the current info we have), so here we are.
The Vikings whiffed on a first round safety a few drafts ago in Lewis Cine, who has since moved on to the Eagles (of course).
While Cine was known as a ferocious head hunter in college (with a level of contact courage that made the rest of UGA DBs look like choir boys), Kilgore is a different type of player. He broke out immediately as a true freshman in 2023 and has been a staple of the USCjr. defence ever since. He has also returned kicks at times for the Gamecocks. The Vikings could still use an elite Safety in the back of the defence—so why not try again?
19. LT Overton (DL/EDGE), Pittsburgh Steelers
Overton is a reclassified player. He was originally in C/O 2023, and then committed to be a part of the most legendary recruiting class ever: the 2022 Texas A&M recruiting class.
Like so many of those Aggie players, he eventually continued his career elsewhere. While he played high school ball in Georgia, he was not originally from that area. He lived in Texas and Alabama growing up, so perhaps it’s not a surprise that he’d end up playing college football in both of those states later on.
He’s a hybrid EDGE guy who could play interior DL with a bit of bulk, a 4-3 DE, a 3-4 DE, and probably even a 3-4 OLB/Edge if he slims down a bit. The NFL is used to going to Tuscaloosa to find front-seven players, though it should be noted that it’s a new regime in town these days.
Overton’s range of outcomes is wide. He could conceivably be the first defensive player taken next year, or fall out of the first round range completely.
20. Harold Perkins (LB), Denver Broncos
Once upon a time the Broncos selected an off-ball linebacker with the 17th pick of the 2004 NFL Draft. DJ Williams, listed at 6’1, 240 pounds, was a lynchpin for the Broncos defence for nine seasons. Like Perkins, Williams had positional versatility within the off-ball linebacker position, switching from outside to middle linebacker with the Broncos during his time.
Now, the NFL has changed quite a bit since then, but Perkins can do something similar for the Broncos as he’s a player who’s moved around a bunch with LSU. He’s probably at his best as a blitzer, but it would be a waste of his athleticism to only use him as a rusher—plus he doesn’t fit the prototypical size for an EDGE rusher.
I remember Perkins’ recruitment well, and I have to say there were a lot of red flags. He proved to be a fantastic prospect in the end, but he has struggled since his sensational freshman season. His fourth year presents a big opportunity for him to place himself back into the first round conversation.
21. CJ Allen (LB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Allen was actually the lowest rated of the three ILB prospects UGA brought in from the 2023 class (according to 247’s composite score). His classmates: five star Raylen Wilson, and Troy Bowles both have a connection to Tampa Bay as well. Raylen is from not far in Northern Florida, and Bowles is from Tampa Bay himself as the son of Buccaneers head coach Todd.
However, despite the rating out of high school, it is CJ Allen who looks most primed to be a first round selection in 2026. He will draw comparisons to Roquan Smith because he looks similar in physical stature. He has many of the same intangible qualities as well. The key for him will be how he tests at the combine.
Allen is the QB of the UGA defence and will be a two-year starter who also played significantly as a freshman by the time he declares next offseason (and I’m assuming he does).
22. Daylen Everette (CB), LA Chargers
I’ve seen another player—PSU’s AJ Harris—mocked into the first round on several occasions now as we kick off the way-too-early mock season. See, the thing you guys get with following a high school/college football degenerate is that I remember the histories of (almost) all of these players, and where they came from.
Why mention this? Well, one should note that the reason Harris currently plays for PSU is because he fell behind two corners on the UGA depth chart—one being former five star Daylen Everette, and the other being (ironically) a player UGA beat PSU for in Daniel Harris.
Point being, it would be a bit strange that if next spring we see AJ Harris going in the first round, while neither of two players who were deemed better than him by the coaches who saw these guys the most prior to last season felt the opposite.
That’s where Everette—otherwise known as the ‘Longhorn Slayer’—comes in. Everette himself has an interesting recruiting story. He and Keon Sabb (now at Alabama, will be discussed here soon) were seen as a package deal in the class of 2022. They both visited Clemson and UGA frequently, and their recruitments came down to both programs as the top two options. They both chose Clemson.
However, when defensive coordinator Brent Venables took the OU job, both decommited—Everette landing at UGA on signing day, and Sabb at Michigan. Because he was a late addition, and not an in-state player, I believe Everette went a bit under the radar amongst the Georgia faithful. He’s also been under appreciated.
He would have been drafted this year, but his decision to come back for his true senior year puts him in good position to be a first rounder, and potentially even viewed as a top-10 type of prospect next year. He’ll have the pedigree, the length and athleticism, and playing time + production to check off a lot of boxes.
23. Jeremiyah Love (RB), Green Bay Packers
It does my heart good to see RBs making a comeback in the first round of NFL drafts. We had not one, but two tail backs selected in the top 25 of this past year’s selection.
Love is a slender player for this position, he’s sort of built like a hybrid WR/RB. He’s dynamite outside the tackles and as a receiver—he very much fits the ‘new’ NFL, just get playmakers in space kind of deal—but he’s not quite a proven commodity in terms of handling 20-25 carries and moving the sticks between the tackles.
His injury history will also ding him. Will likely need a freakazoid type of combine to warrant this kind of draft capital, but given the type of athlete he is I wouldn’t rule it out.
24. Keon Sabb (S), LA Rams
I touched briefly on Sabb’s recruitment above. It’s been a long and windy road to Alabama for him. That’s not that uncommon in today’s CFB, though, so no cause for concern there.
He’s got a lot of the qualities the NFL will look for in the safety position, but in hindsight, I’m not sure he’ll be viewed as a first round level player.
If I think about this past year’s draft class, Malaki Starks didn’t go until pick 27, and I’d put him in a tier above Sabb as a safety prospect.
25. Caleb Banks (DT), San Francisco 49ers
I don’t need to be an NFL degenerate anymore to know that SF’s defence mobilizes through the front seven, specifically the defensive line position.
I listened to the 49ers’ staff speak after the Mykell Williams selection this past draft, and it’s clear these guys love versatile pieces along the line of scrimmage. Banks is the ne plus ultra of an ideal 49ers pick in the first round standing at 6’6 inches tall and around 260 pounds. In fact, his physical profile is not far off their first round pick this past draft.
Banks, who started his career at Louisville, will be the first Gator selected in the first round in a few years, but elite interior DL who can also play on the end are in high demand in the NFL at the moment. This might be the best of the hypothetical picks from a fit perspective.
26. TJ Parker (EDGE), Cincinnati Bengals
Clemson EDGE TJ Parker, from Phenix City, AL, played his high school ball on the border of the states Georgia and Alabama. One of his teammates, AJ Harris, was previously mentioned in this article. Early on in his recruitment, Parker wanted to commit to another powerhouse, UGA, but was apparently not given the green light from the staff.
AJ Harris was allowed to commit early, however, and I’m sure if Georgia’s staff could do a do-over of that scenario they’d happily switch spots with each player.
Harris is now playing ball elsewhere and Parker has turned into a monster prospect who could easily find himself in the top-10 discussion in 2026. He also has versatility to play inside out at 6’3, 265 pounds.
27. DJ Campbell (G), Washington Commanders
First of all, how lame is Washington’s new team name? Second, Mr. Campbell is (as far as I know) the only returning offensive linemen from that stellar Longhorn offensive line in 2024.
A former five star prospect, Campbell is an elite athlete at the interior offensive line position. Coming back for his senior year was probably a good idea, and while guards aren’t usually first round guys, there’s sometimes one or two that squeak into the back end of day 1 of the draft.
28. Deontae Lawson (LB), Baltimore
What a year this could be for the off-ball linebacker position. I think this makes four ILBs selected at this point counting OSU’s Sonny Styles? That feels like it must be a 21st century record for this position.
Lawson is entering his fifth year with the Tide and he’s the official QB of that defence. He’s long and rangy with enough speed to cover the flats. His weaknesses appear in the run game; he needs to work on holding his position instead of being washed away by big bigger offensive lines. To be considered a first round ILB, one has to be able to defend against the pass and the run; question marks for Lawson will be on the latter. Still, he has the look and feel of a Baltimore Raven to me.
Once upon a time, under the previous management at GM, this club couldn’t stop taking ex-Alabama players in the draft. Maybe history repeats itself here at ILB?
29. Keldric Faulk (EDGE/DL), Detroit Lions
As alluded to at the safety and linebacker positions, this may be one of the best drafts for defensive football players in quite some time. We’re up to 18 defensive players out of a total of 29 so far in this hypothetical draft, and more are on the way.
Faulk has a ridiculous frame at 6’6 inches tall, and checks in just shy of 290 pounds. If all else fails in this draft class, this group will offer defensive coordinators in 2026 a lot of versatility to get creative on defence.
Auburn has levelled up their talent considerably over the past two cycles, but Faulk is probably their best player. I think Faulk will be a very popular prospect among the more defensive-minded staffs in the NFL.
30. Josh Cameron (WR), Buffalo Bills
We’ve got the first offensive player since pick 23 here, with Baylor’s ‘X’ receiver Josh Cameron. The 6’1, 215 pound receiver from Cedar Park, TX is definitely a dark horse pick for the first round, but then again pretty much all of these picks in a way-too-early draft are long shots as well.
Cameron will be entering his fifth year of CFB in 2025 without a 1000-yard season to his name. However, with the way he finished in 2024, and with Sawyer Robertson returning maybe that changes this upcoming season. I don’t think that one necessarily needs to hit that mark to be first round material,
If you’re wondering why I’ve picked him out, it’s mostly because he wears a funky number (#34) at receiver and was actually an unranked(!) recruit coming out of high school. So for the story alone I’ve put him here. Can you guess who the last unranked Baylor receiver was who got drafted to the NFL?
31. Mansoor Delane (CB), Kansas City Chiefs
Delane started his career off at Virginia Tech in 2022. He was a standout player in the ACC and capitalized on the boost in his stock with a move to the SEC.
Going forward, he’ll be playing against the best of the best, so we’ll see how he translates at this level.
But good golly, if it isn’t high time for an LSU DB to find his way into the first round yet I don’t know when that would be. This program used to be known as ‘DBU’… what the hell happened?
32. Xavier Nwankpa (S), Philadelphia Eagles
A state that has drastically improved its production of elite football players lately is Iowa. Between Xavier Nwankpa and Proctor, the 2022 and 2023 classes each produced a five star player from a state that had not produced a five star in any other class going back to the 2000s.
There were many suitors during this recruitment—namely Ohio State—but ultimately Nwankpa chose to be the hometown hero. Iowa’s got a long tradition of elite defensive football, but it may be fair to say Nwankpa is their most talented player… ever?
Like with Sabb, due to positional value I’m not sure if Nwankpa will actually be taken in the first round, and this selection would mark four safeties taken in the first, which would be quite a feat for the NFL Draft. But Philly did well with the last Iowa DB they took, and we already know they like double dipping in the same programs for talent.