CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns and Bengals have had similarly disappointing 2025 seasons but for completely different reasons.
For Cleveland, the issue is an offense that has struggled to move the ball and score points all season.
As for Cincinnati, the Bengals defense has been extremely problematic. They are last in scoring and total defense, and are the worst defense in the NFL against the run.
Not only are those units not much better, and at times worse, than they were the year before, but the two teams took different approaches to fixing them last season.
The Bengals used three of their first four draft picks in 2025 on defense, yet those rookies haven’t played well.
As for the Browns, despite their offensive woes, they used their two highest draft picks on defense, and their most notable free-agency moves were on defense. Since taking Nick Chubb in the second round in 2018, the Browns have used only two of their first- or second-round picks on offensive players.
They simply haven’t poured enough high-draft assets into the offense, and it looks like an offense that lacks those players with high potential.
So going into this upcoming NFL draft, with potentially three picks in the top 40, the Browns simply must use at least two, if not all three, on offense.
As for the Bengals, their failures to fix the defense haven’t been for the lack of effort. They’ve simply picked the wrong players and need to reassess their evaluation process.
RELATED: The 6 draft mistakes that helped make the Bengals defense the worst in the NFL in 2025
Here’s my first 2026 NFL mock draft. Draft order is according to Tankathon as of the end of Week 10, and there are no trades.
1. Tennessee Titans (1-8): Rueben Bain Jr., edge rusher, Miami
Height, weight: 6-3, 270 pounds.
2025 stats: 31 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception.
Cam Ward hasn’t had a great rookie season. But the Titans lack talent almost everywhere on their team, so they use the first pick here to get the explosive Bain. This could also be a team likely to trade back and collect assets to add talent across the board.
2. New Orleans Saints (2-8): Arvell Reese, linebacker, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-4, 243 pounds.
2025 stats: 55 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups.
I really wrestled with this pick. Even though the Saints took Tyler Shough in the second round in 2025, it shouldn’t preclude them from taking another QB. Ultimately, I gave the Saints Reese, who has become one of the college game’s most dynamic playmakers on either side of the ball.
The Saints simply need talent and Reese’s play gives Micah Parsons vibes because of his play at linebacker and rushing the quarterback.
3. New York Giants (2-8): Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver, Arizona State
Height, weight: 6-2, 200 pounds.
2025 stats: 57 receptions, 628 yards (11.0 avg.), 8 touchdowns.
Jaxson Dart has been a bright spot in a dismal season for the Giants. With a new coach coming next season, the Giants use this pick on Tyson, who just edges out Carnell Tate as the No. 1 receiver, and gives Dart another high-end weapon to pair with Malik Nabers, who will be working his way back from a torn ACL.
4. Cleveland Browns (2-7): Fernando Mendoza, quarterback, Indiana
Height, weight: 6-5, 225 pounds.
2025 stats: 181-254 (71.3%), 2,342 yards, 26 TDs, 5 interceptions.
Unless Shedeur Sanders has an amazing run once he takes over as starter, the Browns have no choice but to do whatever they realistically can to get their quarterback.
Mendoza right now is QB1 and his game-winning drive at Penn State on Saturday only solidified that standing. He has just about everything a quarterback needs except for an elite deep ball. Mendoza has taken the next step as a quarterback under Curt Cignetti and looks like the type of QB who could turn a team like the Browns back around quickly.
5. New York Jets (2-7): Ty Simpson, quarterback, Alabama
Height, weight: 6-2, 208 pounds.
2025 stats: 198-296 (66.9%), 2,461 yards, 21 TDs, 1 INT.
Despite beating the Browns last Sunday and moving down in the draft order, the Jets are still in position to get a quarterback in this mock without having to trade any picks. Simpson has really blossomed in his first full season as a starter, displaying great accuracy and intelligence. He could easily stay in school since he has started only nine games in college. But if he declares for the draft, he should hear his name called very early.
6. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7): Dante Moore, quarterback, Oregon
Height, weight: 6-3, 206 pounds.
2025 stats:158-224 (70.5%), 1,884 yards, 19 TDs, 5 INTs.
Like Simpson, Moore has been another breakout player at the quarterback position this year. He has mobility, tremendous poise and can make things look effortless. Moore may be inexperienced, but his tools make him an intriguing option for a Raiders team that hasn’t gotten good play out of Geno Smith this season.
7. Miami Dolphins (3-7): Spencer Fano, offensive tackle, Utah
Height, weight: 6-6, 308 pounds.
This season has been a nightmare for the Dolphins, and they may need to start over at quarterback. But with the clear top three gone, the Dolphins continue to bolster the offensive line by taking a guy in Fano who has a great motor and moves very well.
8. Washington Commanders (3-7): Carnell Tate, wide receiver, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-3, 195 pounds.
2025 stats: 39 receptions, 711 yards (18.2 avg.), 7 TDs.
The fact that Tate has stood out on his own in a receiving corps with Jeremiah Smith speaks to the leap he has taken. The Commanders take the latest product of Ohio State’s receiver factory to give Jayden Daniels another weapon.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6): Caleb Downs, safety, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-0, 205 pounds.
2025 stats: 28 solo tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 INTs.
Based solely on talent, Downs should go much, much earlier than this pick. But the safety position lacks value, which is why Kyle Hamilton slipped out of the top 10 in 2022. And there are a handful of teams probably wishing they had a do-over.
The Bengals have needs basically across their defense and simply need to take the best player on that side of the ball.
Downs does it all as a safety and could be a cornerstone defender, which Cincinnati desperately needs to help kickstart another defensive retool.
10. Los Angeles Rams via Atlanta Falcons (3-6): Francis Mauigoa, offensive tackle, Miami
Height, weight: 6-6, 335 pounds.
Last draft’s trade down with Atlanta couldn’t have worked out much better for the Rams, who are now poised to pick in the top 10. Even though they could easily land their heir to Matthew Stafford at quarterback if one is available or even via a trade up, I have them taking the powerful and relentless right tackle in Mauigoa to make a good offensive line even better.
11. Arizona Cardinals (3-6): David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech
Height, weight: 6-3, 250 pounds.
2025 stats: 31 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 15 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass breakup.
Even though the future of the quarterback position is in doubt for the Cardinals with questions about Kyler Murray’s future, Arizona might not be in position to get their quarterback. So here, they tap into a strength of this class, which is at edge rusher, and they get the electrifying Bailey who has a pass rush win rate of 24.4% according to Pro Football Focus, which is seventh among defensive players with at least 71 snaps.
12. Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1): Keldric Faulk, edge rusher, Auburn
Height, weight: 6-6, 285 pounds.
2025 stats: 26 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFLs, 3 pass breakups.
As much hype as Faulk has received throughout the pre-draft process, there’s a reason I have him sliding out of the top 10 in this mock. While he is a quality run defender, he has not produced as a pass rusher with 10 career sacks. It’s a concern at a position where college productivity matters when projecting NFL success. But there is enough to like where he fits here for a Cowboys team trying to find any kind of replacement for Micah Parsons.
13. Baltimore Ravens (4-5): Peter Woods, defensive tackle, Clemson
Height, weight: 6-3, 310 pounds.
2025 stats: 27 tackles, 2 sacks, 2.5 TFLs.
Few organizations benefit more from a pure “best player available” process than the Ravens do. That’s why it would be stunning if Woods, arguably the best defensive tackle in this class, fell further than this. Clemson’s disappointing season has hurt the stock many of its draft prospects. But Woods isn’t one of them.
14. Minnesota Vikings (4-5): Jermod McCoy, cornerback, Tennessee
Height, weight: 6-0, 193 pounds.
2025 stats: Has not played.
McCoy has missed the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL in January. But the fact that he remains the top corner in this class speaks to how good he was in 2024, when he had four interceptions and seven pass breakups. Corner is a need for the Vikings and taking a player with the athleticism and ball skills like McCoy has could be a nice gamble.
15. Houston Texans (4-5): Kadyn Proctor, offensive tackle, Alabama
Height, weight: 6-7, 366 pounds.
The Texans finally appear to have a solid offensive line foundation with rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery emerging as a quality starter. They do have holes to fill in the interior of both lines, but there really isn’t a player of requisite value. So they take the big Alabama offensive tackle in Proctor, who can add power blocking to an offense that ranks outside the top 20 in rushing.
16. Carolina Panthers (5-5): Kenyon Sadiq, tight end, Oregon
Height, weight: 6-3, 245 pounds.
2025 stats: 22 receptions, 311 yards (14.1 avg.), 5 TDs.
Sadiq first caught my eye last season when I watched Oregon highlights after the Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel. He comes into this year as the top tight end in this class, and I like the Panthers using this pick to give Bryce Young another weapon to pair with promising rookie Tet McMillan.
17. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4): Mansoor Delane, cornerback, LSU
Height, weight: 6-0, 190 pounds.
2025 stats: 21 solo tackles, 1 INT, 8 pass breakups.
The Chiefs have a top-10 defense against the pass this season. But Jaylen Watson’s impending free agency could push Kansas City to add another corner. Delane has handled the adjustment from Virginia Tech to LSU very well because of his versatility and high football IQ.
18. San Francisco 49ers (6-4): Caleb Lomu, offensive tackle, Utah
Height, weight: 6-6, 308 pounds.
Lomu is the other half of Utah’s talented duo of offensive tackles. He does need to get stronger, but his movement skills and ability as a pass protector make him a player who could really blossom in time. The 49ers didn’t draft an offensive lineman last April until the seventh round and need options to possibly succeed Trent Williams.
19. Cleveland via Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4): Makai Lemon, wide receiver, USC
Height, weight: 5-11, 195 pounds.
2025 stats: 61 receptions, 937 yards (15.4 avg.), 7 TDs.
The Browns haven’t drafted a pass catcher in the first two rounds of a draft since David Njoku in the first round in 2017. While the offensive line needs work, the Browns must start prioritizing receivers with high-value picks.
Lemon might be the next in a line of receivers who have recently found success in the NFL. Guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka are all young receivers who may not wow anyone physically, but they know how to get open and can make plays after the catch. It also helps describe Lemon.
Getting a receiver like Lemon will help whoever they draft at quarterback from day one.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4): Avieon Terrell, cornerback, Clemson
Height, weight: 5-11, 180 pounds.
2025 stats: 25 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 4.5 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 9 pass breakups.
The younger brother of A.J. Terrell, Avieon has clearly established himself as a first-round talent. With Darius Slay turning 35 in January and Joey Porter Jr. heading to free agency after 2026, the Steelers might be smart to take another shot at a playmaking corner.
21. Dallas via Green Bay Packers (5-3-1): Jeremiyah Love, running back, Notre Dame
Height, weight: 6-0, 214 pounds.
2025 stats: 154 carries, 988 yards (6.4 avg.), 13 TDs; 24 receptions, 254 yards (10.6 avg.), 3 TDs.
Love is head and shoulders above every other running back in this class and probably could go much earlier than this pick. He could be great value for the Cowboys here and create quite a one-two combination at running back with Javonte Williams.
22. Chicago Bears (6-3): T.J. Parker, edge rusher, Clemson
Height, weight: 6-3, 250 pounds.
2025 stats: 29 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 TFLs.
Parker might have been a top-10 pick coming into this season. But he, like Clemson as a whole, has been underwhelming in 2025. For a Bears team that has the fifth-fewest pressures (58) in the NFL, it’s not a bad bet this late in the first round to go for a guy with the tools that he has and hope that he can rediscover his 2024 form.
23. Buffalo Bills (6-3): Sonny Styles, linebacker, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-5, 243 pounds.
2025 stats: 50 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass breakups.
The emergence of Arvell Reese has made Styles maybe a little underrated. But he’s still a physical specimen and his coverage ability is what you expect from a player who used to be a safety but just outgrew the position. With Matt Milano in his early 30s, the time might be right for Buffalo to find his heir.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3): Cashius Howell, edge rusher, Texas A&M
Height, weight: 6-2, 248 pounds.
2025 stats: 21 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 11.5 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass breakups.
In his second season since making the move from Bowling Green to Texas A&M, Howell has broken out and been a reason why the Aggies are undefeated to this point. He also produced at Bowling Green, recording 11.5 sacks and 13 TFLs in three seasons with the Falcons. Howell wins with his first step and explosiveness, and he could be a good fit for a Buccaneers defense that has mostly been a pass rush by committee.
25. Detroit Lions (6-3): Matayo Uiagalelei, edge rusher, Oregon
Height, weight: 6-5, 272 pounds.
2025 stats: 16 tackles, 4 sacks, 5.5 TFLs, 3 pass breakups.
The Lions have one of the game’s best defensive ends in Aidan Hutchinson. They could look to the Big Ten to find a good starter to put opposite him. Uiagalelei has plenty of size and length, and he has some bend around the edge that helped him to 10.5 sacks in 2024.
26. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3): CJ Allen, linebacker, Georgia
Height, weight: 6-1, 235 pounds.
2025 stats: 75 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass breakup.
Allen to the Chargers here makes it three linebackers in the first round. A reason he could sneak into the first round is because of his athletic ability and how great his football IQ is. He may still need some work in coverage, but Allen has the tools to quickly become a three-down linebacker in the NFL.
27. Los Angeles Rams (7-2): Garrett Nussmeier, quarterback, LSU
Height, weight: 6-1, 205 pounds.
2025 stats: 194-288 (67.4%), 1,927 yards, 12 TDs, 5 INTs.
Nussmeier was considered a potential QB1 as late as mid-September, but his stock has plunged. This is probably due in part to LSU’s struggles as a team, which led to Brian Kelly’s firing. The Rams may be as good a spot for Nussmeier to rebuild himself behind Matthew Stafford.
If South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers enters this draft, I’d probably put him as high as 10th to the Rams. But because he and his team struggled as much as they did, I’d be more stunned if he didn’t just stay in college for one more season.
28. New England Patriots (8-2): Chris Bell, wide receiver, Louisville
Height, weight: 6-2, 220 pounds.
2025 stats: 62 receptions, 792 yards (12.8 avg.), 6 TDs.
Bell is the definition of a walking mismatch at receiver because of his size-speed combination. His size helps him win in jump balls, and his strength and speed make him just as dangerous after the catch. This is the kind of receiver any quarterback like Drake Maye would love to have.
29. Seattle Seahawks (7-2): Colton Hood, cornerback, Tennessee
Height, weight: 6-0, 195 pounds.
2025 stats: 27 solo tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT, 7 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble.
With McCoy unable to play so far this season, Hood has performed well in his absence and has even worked his way into first-round consideration. The Seahawks are in a good position right now at corner but could use some insurance with Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen set to be free agents this offseason.
30. Denver Broncos (8-2): Anthony Hill Jr., linebacker, Texas
Height, weight: 6-3, 238 pounds.
2025 stats: 63 tackles, 4 sacks, 6.5 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup.
2026 may be the draft of the linebacker because Hill is the fourth player at his position in this mock draft. The former 5-star prospect has been a high-impact player throughout his college career, and Hill might be a good fit for a Broncos team that needs youth at inside linebacker.
31. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2): R Mason Thomas, edge rusher, Oklahoma
Height, weight: 6-2, 249 pounds.
2025 stats: 23 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 9.5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass breakup.
Thomas has done a great job to build off a breakout 2024 season in which he had nine sacks and 12.5 TFLs. Even though he lacks length, his flexibility and athletic ability shine. The Eagles love to add to their pass rush, so that’s a reason why he goes here.
32. New York Jets via Indianapolis Colts (8-2): Olaivavega Ioane, interior offensive lineman, Penn State
Height, weight: 6-4, 328 pounds.
The Jets have actually done a pretty good job at building their offensive line by adding two good first-round tackles in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou. Ioane makes sense for them as a guard who has plenty of power and strength in his hands.
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