The combine has passed with a draft class that exceeded most pundits’ forecasts. This is an extremely athletic and deep class on both sides of the ball. The quarterbacks move the needle – this class is lacking at the most position in all of pro sports – but otherwise the 2026 draft should result in a plethora of difference makers.
With free agency pending (the legal tampering period started on Monday, March 9 – free agency beginning on Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET) rumors are swirling. Will the Bengals be active? Let’s hope so – The Brotherhood of the Bengal will be broadcasting live on YouTube on Monday afternoon for free agency coverage. Tune in for what is a huge offseason for Duke Tobin. The time is now!
Back to the draft – my post combine – pre free agency NFL Mock Draft will contain ten picks. First – I’ll show my grading scale for clarification and include my player grade on each pick. The grade is a projection scoring system:
9.6+: Hall-of-Fame Talent
9.3-9.5: Perennial All-Pro
9.0-9.2: All-Pro Caliber
8.7-8.9: High-End NFL Starter
8.3-8.6: Quality NFL starter
Onto the draft:
1. Las Vegas: QB Fernando Mendoza, 8.70 – The former Cal QB will be forever remembered in the Hoosier state for doing the unthinkable – winning a championship for Indiana. Now he will take on a huge challenge with the Raiders but will have good young talent around him and an excellent play-caller in Klint Kubiak.
2. New York Jets: Edge Arvell Reese, 9.44 – Reese is a bit of a tweener reminding some of Micah Parsons. During his collegiate career at Ohio State he showed great bend and speed around the edge. He has the talent to be a top-end pass rusher.
3. Arizona: Edge David Bailey, 9.40 – The former Texas Tech Red Raider certainly looked the part at the combine. Bailey graduated early from Stanford and plays the game with no uni-swag. He is a football player plain and simple – a player with play strength and play speed.
4. Tennessee: RB Jeremiyah Love, 9.45 – Love is simply a game changer (second on my overall draft board). He put on a show at the combine just as he did on the field for the Fighting Irish. He will pay huge dividends to OC Brian Daboll and second year QB Cam Ward.
5. New York Giants: OT Francis Mauigoa, 9.27 – Not my top lineman but will certainly be a very good tackle or potentially guard. A massive human being who will go a long way in protecting QB Jaxson Dart.
6. Cleveland: OT Spencer Fano, 9.29 – Also not my top tackle (I’ll stop the mystery – its Monroe Freeling) – but Fano is a quick mover with outstanding lateral movement – a technician. Fano should be a high level tackle for a team that sorely needs help on the o-line.
7. Washington: LB Sonny Styles, 9.39 – The former Buckeye put on a show at the combine. Styles possesses elite size and agility for the position – he will make an immediate impact for a defense that sorely needs it. He should be a big time player for a long time in Washington.
8. New Orleans: TE Kenyon Sadiq, 9.32 – The Saints need help for QB Tyler Shough but instead of wideout – they select the uber athletic tight end out of Oregon. Sadiq put up an all-time performance for a TE at the combine. Sadiq is only 20 years old with a high ceiling.
9. Kansas City: S Dillon Thieneman, 9.25 – The first real shocker – not for me though as I have Thieneman the 11th ranked non-QB. He is a super athletic back-end safety that can make plays on the ball. WR will be tempting as well as Mahomes and the KC offense have struggled mightily the last two seasons.
10. Cincinnati: In this scenario, Duke Tobin is on the clock with two players I absolutely love: Safety Caleb Downs – my top-rated player with a 9.46 grade, and edge Rueben Bain who I have as a top 7 player with a 9.36 grade. Downs falls due to his position and rumors about a degenerative ACL with Bain’s slide due to his much scrutinized “short arms.” You cannot go wrong with either player – but for me it is Downs. The former Buckeye is an elite tackler who diagnosis plays quickly – seemingly always in position and a leader on the back end. He would make a dramatic difference on the maligned Cincy defense from day one.
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