NFL Draft 2026: Teams Make Big Moves to Strengthen Their Roster

The 2026 NFL Draft is shaping up to be an exciting event, with teams making strategic picks to improve their rosters. The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana with the first overall pick. Mendoza has shown impressive stats, with a 6. 1% big-time throw rate and a 2. 5% turnover-worthy play rate, making him a strong candidate for the top spot. The New York Jets, on the other hand, are looking to bolster their defense after quarterback Dante Moore decided to stay at Oregon for another season. They are eyeing David Bailey from Texas Tech, who led all FBS edge defenders with 81 quarterback pressures in 2025. The Jets' decision to focus on defense could be a game-changer for their team. The Arizona Cardinals are in a unique position due to their quarterback situation. They need to decide if Kyler Murray is their long-term answer. For now, they are considering safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State, who finished the 2025 season with impressive run-defense and coverage grades above 80. 0. The Tennessee Titans are looking at edge defender Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami (FL). Bain's dominance in his final college season, with 87. 1 PFF run-defense grade and 80 quarterback pressures, makes him a polarizing but valuable prospect. His versatility could maximize his impact on the Titans' defense. The New York Giants are focusing on building around quarterback Jaxson Dart. They are considering wide receiver Carnell Tate from Ohio State, who caught 85. 7% of contested targets in 2025 and didn't drop a pass. Tate's performance makes him a strong fit for the Giants' offense. The Cleveland Browns are prioritizing a top wide receiver, with Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson being a strong candidate. Tyson dropped just 1. 6% of catchable passes and earned an 89. 0 PFF receiving grade against man coverage, making him a valuable addition to the Browns' roster. The Washington Commanders are hoping for one of the top two edge defenders to fall to them at No. 7 overall. If not, Cashius Howell from Texas A&M would be a solid consolation prize. Howell earned a 90. 3 PFF pass-rush grade and produced a 19. 8% PFF pass-rush win rate in 2025. The New Orleans Saints are looking to build around rookie quarterback Tyler Shough with a playmaker like Makai Lemon from USC. Lemon logged an 81. 0 PFF receiving grade against man coverage and caught 66. 7% of contested targets, making him a valuable addition to the Saints' offense. The Kansas City Chiefs are considering running back Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame to boost their offense. Love earned elite PFF overall grades of 91. 1 and 93. 9 over the past two seasons and averaged 4. 5 yards after contact in 2025. His addition could make the Chiefs' offense even more dynamic. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to improve their defense and are considering defensive interior Peters Woods from Clemson. Woods underperformed in 2025 but has the skill set to shine as a pass rusher and against the run. The Miami Dolphins are considering cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU, who earned an 89. 1 PFF coverage grade in man coverage and forced 11 incompletions in 2025. Delane's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Dolphins' roster. The Dallas Cowboys are looking at linebacker Arvell Reese from Ohio State, who earned an 86. 5 PFF run-defense grade and a 72. 1 PFF pass-rush grade in his final college season. Reese's versatility makes him a valuable addition to the Cowboys' defense. The Los Angeles Rams are considering cornerback Jermod McCoy from Tennessee, who missed the 2025 season due to injury but earned an 87. 0 PFF overall grade in 2024. McCoy's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Rams' roster. The Baltimore Ravens are looking at tackle Francis Mauigoa from Miami (FL), who earned an 85. 4 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in 2025. Mauigoa's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Ravens' offensive line. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considering linebacker Sonny Styles from Ohio State, who earned PFF coverage and run-defense grades above 85. 0 in his final college season. Styles' performance makes him a strong candidate for the Buccaneers' roster.The New York Jets (from Colts) are considering wide receiver Denzel Boston from Washington, who earned an 89. 3 PFF receiving grade against man coverage and caught 76. 9% of his contested targets in 2025. Boston's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Jets' offense. The Detroit Lions are considering tackle Kadyn Proctor from Alabama, who earned 80. 0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection in 2025. Proctor's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Lions' roster. The Minnesota Vikings are considering cornerback Avieon Terrell from Clemson, who secured PFF overall grades above 80. 0 in each of the past two seasons. Terrell's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Vikings' defense. The Carolina Panthers are considering defensive interior Kayden McDonald from Ohio State, who earned a 91. 2 PFF run-defense grade and recorded a 13. 2% PFF run-stop rate in 2025. McDonald's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Panthers' roster. The Dallas Cowboys are considering edge defender Keldric Faulk from Auburn, who earned an 85. 5 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. Faulk's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Cowboys' defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers are considering wide receiver KC Concepcion from Texas A&M, who earned a 78. 2 PFF receiving grade against man coverage in 2025. Concepcion's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Steelers' roster. The Los Angeles Chargers are considering guard Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State, who logged an elite 90. 9 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in 2025. Ioane's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Chargers' offensive line. The Philadelphia Eagles are considering tight end Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon, who is generating noise as a potential top-10 pick and is likely to test very well this spring. Sadiq's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Eagles' roster. The Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars) are considering tackle Spencer Fano from Utah, who earned 80. 0-plus PFF grades as a run blocker and in pass protection in 2025. Fano's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Browns' offensive line. The Chicago Bears are considering defensive interior Christen Miller from Georgia, who earned a 90. 2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. Miller's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Bears' roster. The Buffalo Bills are considering edge defender T. J. Parker from Clemson, who tallied a 15. 5% PFF pass-rush win rate and earned a 77. 5 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. Parker's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Bills' defense. The San Francisco 49ers are considering tackle Caleb Lomu from Utah, who earned an 82. 1 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025. Lomu's performance makes him a strong candidate for the 49ers' roster. The Houston Texans are considering guard Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon, who earned a 93. 0 PFF run-blocking grade in zone concepts and an 88. 2 PFF pass-blocking grade in his final college season. Pregnon's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Texans' offensive line. The Los Angeles Rams are considering cornerback Chris Johnson from San Diego State, who earned an elite 92. 4 PFF coverage grade in 2025. Johnson's performance makes him a strong candidate for the Rams' roster. The New England Patriots are considering tackle Gennings Dunker from Iowa, who logged an elite 90. 2 PFF overall grade in 2024 and earned 75. 0-plus PFF grades in pass protection and as a run blocker in 2025. Dunker's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Patriots' offensive line. The Denver Broncos are considering defensive interior Caleb Banks from Florida, who missed most of the 2025 season but flashed as a pass rusher toward the end of the 2024 campaign. Banks' performance makes him a strong candidate for the Broncos' roster. The Seattle Seahawks are considering cornerback Keith Abney II from Arizona State. Abney's performance makes him a valuable addition to the Seahawks' defense.