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There are only a few weeks left in what’s been a chaotic and unpredictable NFL regular season. As the playoff picture comes into sharper focus, a growing number of teams have already been forced to pivot toward the NFL Draft — a list that now, astonishingly, includes the Kansas City Chiefs.
Using the updated draft order, here’s how the first round could shape up when April rolls around.
1. New York Jets (via New York Giants): QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Projected trade: New York Giants send No. 1 overall pick to New York Jets for No. 5 pick, No. 37 pick, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
The Jets package their No. 7 overall pick, one of their three first-round selections in 2027 and a pair of second-round picks to move up and secure a potential franchise quarterback in Mendoza.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner currently ranks fifth among FBS quarterbacks in PFF grade (90.5), while his 33 passing touchdowns lead the nation. He draws comparisons to Jared Goff — a quarterback this Jets coaching staff knows well, with several members having previously worked with Goff in Detroit.
2. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Dante Moore, Oregon
The Raiders won’t need to trade up to the top spot to land a quarterback, as another elite option is available here. Moore owns the best PFF passing grade (91.2) among draft-eligible quarterbacks this season, trailing only Ohio State’s Julian Sayin overall. The redshirt sophomore has been on a heater down the stretch, earning an 85.0-plus PFF passing grade in three consecutive games.
3. Tennessee Titans: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
The Titans take the first non-quarterback off the board with Bain. He’s the only Power Four edge defender ranking inside the top 10 nationally in both PFF run-defense grade (fifth) and PFF pass-rush grade (ninth). Bain’s 23.9% pass-rush win rate ranks second among Power Four edge defenders and would provide an immediate boost to a Titans edge group that currently owns the third-worst unit grade in the NFL (57.0).
4. Cleveland Browns: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
It remains unclear whether Shedeur Sanders is the long-term answer at quarterback for the Browns, but one thing is certain: Cleveland must upgrade its supporting cast on offense. The Browns currently rank last in the NFL in both receiving grade and pass-blocking grade.
They address one of those issues here by selecting Tyson. The redshirt junior has earned 80.0-plus PFF grades in back-to-back seasons and brings the well-rounded skill set needed to develop into a true No. 1 wide receiver at the NFL level.
5. New York Giants (via New York Jets): WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Projected trade: New York Giants send No. 1 overall pick to New York Jets for No. 5 pick, No. 37 pick, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
The Giants slide back to the fifth overall pick and land Carnell Tate. His 90.2 PFF grade is tied for fourth among all receivers nationally, and his 151.1 passer rating when targeted also ranks fourth. Tate would form a dynamic pairing with Malik Nabers once the Giants star returns from injury, and he'd also add much-needed size (6-foot-3) to New York’s wide receiver room.
6. Arizona Cardinals: OT Spencer Fano, Utah
Paris Johnson Jr. is firmly entrenched as Arizona’s franchise left tackle, but the Cardinals still need a long-term answer on the right side. That makes Fano a strong fit, as the Utah right tackle owns a 92.2 PFF grade since 2024 — the best among all offensive tackles in the country.
7. New Orleans Saints: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
The Saints desperately need a young cornerstone in their front seven, with linebacker Demario Davis and edge defender Cameron Jordan nearing the ends of their careers. They find one here in Reese, a versatile defender capable of playing both linebacker and edge, similar to last year’s first-round selections Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker. Reese’s eight sacks are tied for fourth among all linebackers nationally, and he’s paired that production with an impressive 84.5 PFF run-defense grade.
8. Washington Commanders: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
The Commanders have fielded one of the NFL’s three lowest-graded defenses for three straight seasons and badly need true difference-makers on that side of the ball. Downs fits that need perfectly, as he’s arguably the best player in the entire draft class. His 93.5 PFF grade since entering college in 2023 leads all Power Four safeties and highlights the rare impact he could bring to Washington’s secondary.
9. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
The Bengals are the only defense in the NFL ranking bottom-five in both run-defense grade and pass-rush grade, making the need up front impossible to ignore. After selecting edge defender Shemar Stewart in the first round last year to help stabilize the run defense, Cincinnati can add real pass-rush juice with Bailey.
The Texas Tech product leads the nation with a 92.9 PFF overall grade, a 93.5 pass-rush grade, 74 total pressures and 14 sacks.
10. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons): CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
While the Rams boast the NFL’s top team coverage grade, they still haven’t replaced the true shutdown presence they lost when Jalen Ramsey was traded in 2023. Delane has the profile to fill that void, allowing just a 26.7 passer rating into his coverage this season, the lowest mark among all Power Four cornerbacks.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Not only is this the first time in 11 years that the Chiefs have missed the playoffs, but it is also the first season since Patrick Mahomes took over as the starter in 2018 that Kansas City has failed to reach the AFC championship game.
As they begin a reset, the Chiefs address the defensive line with the selection of Keldric Faulk — a toolsy, ascending prospect who is still developing as a pass rusher but has posted an 89.0 PFF run-defense grade since 2024.
12. Minnesota Vikings: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
While the Vikings continue to evaluate whether J.J. McCarthy is their long-term answer at quarterback, they can ease some of that burden by adding an elite running back prospect in Jeremiyah Love. The Heisman Trophy finalist has put up a 95.2 PFF grade since 2024, the highest among all running backs in that span, which includes Ashton Jeanty’s monstrous season last year.
13. Miami Dolphins: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
While Rasul Douglas has been excellent for Miami this season, he’s 30 years old and set to hit free agency, and the Dolphins still need more long-term help at cornerback. McCoy missed the entire year after tearing his ACL in January, but his 89.6 PFF coverage grade as a sophomore in 2024 ranked top-10 among FBS cornerbacks.
14. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
Donovan Ezeiruaku has put together a strong rookie season on the edge, but Dallas still needs a long-term running mate across from him. Parker fits that mold well, bringing elite play strength at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds and a stellar 90.3 career PFF grade from his time at Clemson.
15. Baltimore Ravens: DI Peter Woods, Clemson
The Ravens desperately need help along their defensive front, as their 59.9 defensive line grade ranks 10th worst in the NFL. Woods would immediately bolster that unit, bringing an impressive 88.2 career PFF grade across three seasons at Clemson.
16. Carolina Panthers: WR Makai Lemon, USC
The Panthers continue to build around Bryce Young, pairing last year’s top X-receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the best slot receiver in the class, Makai Lemon. The Biletnikoff Award winner leads all FBS wideouts with a 90.7 PFF grade and paces the Power Four with 1,156 receiving yards.
17. Detroit Lions: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
Penei Sewell has been the best offensive lineman in football this season, but with Taylor Decker potentially nearing retirement, Detroit could look to fortify the tackle spot again.
Mauigoa ranks fourth among FBS tackles in PFF grade (85.7) and owns the third-best pass-blocking grade (88.3). While he plays right tackle like Sewell, Sewell’s dominance on the left side in college gives the Lions flexibility to make a seamless transition similar to Tristan Wirfs’ move in Tampa Bay.
18. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts): WR Denzel Boston, Washington
The Jets already landed what they hope is their franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, so continuing to build around him makes plenty of sense. Boston’s 88.2 PFF grade ranks sixth among FBS wide receivers this season, and his 6-foot-4 frame would complement Garrett Wilson perfectly as a true boundary presence.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
The Buccaneers have one of the weakest linebacker groups in the NFL, and with Lavonte David nearing the end of his career, the need is becoming more urgent. Styles would be a seamless fit, as he owns the second-highest PFF grade among Power Four linebackers at 89.8, while pairing elite coverage ability (87.7 PFF coverage grade) with flawless tackling this season.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Simpson’s draft stock has cooled in recent weeks, but the talent is still there for a team like the Steelers to take a swing. When kept clean, he’s been excellent, earning a 90.4 PFF grade from a clean pocket — a trait that will keep him firmly on NFL radars.
21. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
The Eagles are locked in at one outside cornerback spot with Quinyon Mitchell and boast an elite slot defender in Cooper DeJean, but there’s still room to upgrade opposite Mitchell. Terrell fits that need perfectly, owning a 90.3 PFF grade since 2024 and carrying the pedigree as the younger brother of All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell.
22. Houston Texans: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
The Texans need to keep investing heavily in their offensive line, which remains the roster’s biggest weakness. The versatile Proctor would offer that help and has finally translated his elite traits into production, as he has earned an 84.9 PFF grade that ranks seventh among all tackles in the country.
23. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers): LB CJ Allen, Georgia
The Cowboys continue to fortify their front seven by selecting C.J. Allen, a move that directly addresses one of the roster’s biggest weaknesses. His 90.9 PFF run-defense grade ranks fourth among FBS linebackers and would be a major boost to a Dallas linebacker unit that currently sits second-worst in the NFL by PFF grade.
24. Buffalo Bills: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Bosa has been productive for the Bills this season, but with the 30-year-old set to hit free agency, Buffalo may need a long-term answer off the edge. Pairing Greg Rousseau with Cashius Howell — whose 12 sacks are tied for third among all edge defenders in the country — would give the Bills a young, high-upside pass-rushing duo to build around.
25. Chicago Bears: DI Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
The Bears’ top priority this offseason should be reinforcing the defensive line, whether inside or off the edge. McDonald stands out as the premier interior option, owning an 89.0 PFF grade that leads all college defensive tackles by more than two points, along with a nation-best 92.2 PFF run-defense grade.
26. Los Angeles Chargers: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
The Chargers’ offensive line has been among the league’s worst this season, largely due to injuries to Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, but interior help is still badly needed. Ioane fits that need perfectly, as the Penn State left guard owns an 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025, allowing no sacks or hits and just four total pressures across 310 pass-blocking snaps.
27. San Francisco 49ers: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Trent Williams remains one of the NFL’s elite offensive tackles, but at 37 years old, San Francisco needs to start planning for the future at the position. Lomu offers that succession plan after earning an 82.1 PFF pass-blocking grade as Utah’s left tackle, allowing zero sacks on the season.
28. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars): OT Gennings Dunker, Iowa
The Browns need to keep building out the offensive ecosystem around whoever ends up under center long term. After selecting Tyson in the top five, Cleveland reinforces the offensive line with Dunker, whose 89.4 PFF grade over the past two seasons ranks fifth among FBS tackles and makes him an ideal fit for Kevin Stefanski’s outside zone–heavy scheme.
29. New England Patriots: EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Between Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson, the Patriots still lack a true difference-maker off the edge. Uiagalelei has the profile to fill that void, ranking sixth among Big Ten edge defenders with 41 pressures this season and offering New England much-needed juice in its pass rush.
30. Seattle Seahawks: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
Devon Witherspoon has become the star Seattle envisioned when it drafted him fifth overall in 2023, but the Seahawks still need a reliable option opposite him. Hood has stepped up as Tennessee’s top cornerback in Jermod McCoy’s absence and ranks third among SEC corners this season with an 81.2 PFF coverage grade.
31. Los Angeles Rams: QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
With the Rams’ second first-round pick, they could start planning for life after Matthew Stafford, who will be nearing 38 despite playing at an MVP level. While 2025 was a disappointing season for Nussmeier, his 85.9 PFF grade over the past two years suggests he has the talent to be a strong long-term fit in Sean McVay’s offense, especially if given a year or two to develop behind a veteran.
32. Denver Broncos: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Sadiq falls right into Denver’s lap at No. 32, and the Oregon tight end could ultimately come off the board much earlier than this. He leads all tight ends in the country with eight receiving touchdowns and ranks 15th at the position with 490 receiving yards, making him one of the most productive and dangerous pass-catching tight ends in the class.