Wilson's 2026 NFL mock draft 7.0: Bills get aggressive and trade for top WR, keep Super Bowl window wide open

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is over and we've all had time to react to the 40 times, vertical leaps and arm length to have nuanced and reasoned takes on why a player with years worth of tape is now demonstrably better or worse than he was a week ago. 

I'm mostly joking but we're all guilty of letting our biases creep in after seeing most of the players below perform in Indy. And while the on-field workouts have some importance, I am here to confirm that the tape is still, in fact, the tape.

I do not care that Carnell Tate ran a 4.53. 

Because, it turns out, that time is a) in dispute, according to The Athletic, and b) Tate plays way faster than that. It's why I have the Bills trading all the way up to No. 3 to land the Ohio State wideout, and take their middle-of-the-road-in-the-AFC Super Bowl chances and puts them in overdrive. 

Yes, the cost to move up is steep – and history says that shouldn't scare contenders. The Falcons did something similar back in 2011 when they jumped 21 spots to take Julio Jones. Five years later, they should have won the Super Bowl. And even though they fell short no one would argue that going to get Jones wasn't the right decision. 

(Here's more on why the Bills should seriously consider a move up -- I figured it was worth fleshing out after Ran Carthon and I talked to Tate on the "With the First Pick" podcast from the combine.)

In this post-combine mock, three Ohio State players come off the board in the top five (none are named Arvell Reese) — and the madness starts early with that Bills trade that reshapes the entire first round. 

NFL Mock Draft

Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1 Fernando Mendoza QB Indiana • Jr • 6'5" / 225 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st PAYDS 3535 RUYDS 276 INTS 6 TDS 48 In a world of uncertainty, this feels like the closest thing to a sure bet. It makes too much sense not to happen.

Round 1 - Pick 2 David Bailey EDGE Texas Tech • Sr • 6'3" / 250 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 3rd The Jets are in no position to be rolling the dice on a high-end prospect like Arvell Reese, mostly because they're in we absolutely have to win right now mode -- and those words are in all caps and bold when talking about second-year coach Aaron Glenn. Reese has a chance to be really special. David Bailey has a chance to be really special … next season.

Mock Trade from Arizona Cardinals Round 1 - Pick 3 Carnell Tate WR Ohio State • Jr • 6'3" / 195 lbs Projected Team Buffalo PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 2nd REC 51 REYDS 875 YDS/REC 17.2 TDS 9 You want to get nuts? Let's get nuts. I explained the trade above -- and even devoted 1,800 words to why it makes sense for the Bills to proactively pursue a big-time receiver.

Round 1 - Pick 4 Sonny Styles LB Ohio State • Sr • 6'5" / 243 lbs Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 1st We are now living in a world where Styles is the first Ohio State defender off the board (and the second Buckeye, behind Tate). Some of it has to do with his combine performance, but that athleticism was all over his 2025 tape, when he made huge strides another year removed from safety and fully settled in at linebacker. In the right scheme, he'll be used to rush off the edge too.

Round 1 - Pick 5 Caleb Downs S Ohio State • Jr • 6'0" / 205 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 1st In a quirky draft where one, maybe two QBs go in Round 1, and the board is littered with really good football players, we could see an off-ball linebacker and a safety go in the top five. History says that's crazy talk, but both Styles and Downs will immediately make their football teams better.

Round 1 - Pick 6 Francis Mauigoa OT Miami (Fla.) • Jr • 6'6" / 335 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 4th With WR1 off the board, the Browns go chalk and take the best offensive lineman in the class to protect Shedeur Sanders … or Dillon Gabriel … or Deshaun Watson … or a QB4 to be named later. The point remains: the offensive line is a huge need and Cleveland addresses it here.

Round 1 - Pick 7 Arvell Reese EDGE Ohio State • Jr • 6'4" / 243 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 2nd Could Reese fall to No. 7? It seems like a long shot, but if the Bills trade up for a WR, things can get interesting quickly. This is a best-case scenario for the Commanders, who have to upgrade their pass rush.

Round 1 - Pick 8 Jeremiyah Love RB Notre Dame • Jr • 6'0" / 214 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 1st RUYDS 1372 YDS/ATT 6.9 REYDS 280 TDS 21 This has been a popular pick in recent weeks, and after Love's combine workouts, all the more reason to lean into it here. An explosive RB is every QB's best friend, and that's especially true for second-year passer Tyler Shough.

Round 1 - Pick 9 Spencer Fano OT Utah • Jr • 6'6" / 308 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd Fano is a technician on the right side, and the Chiefs have to upgrade the position. Now they'll have two young bookend tackles as they look to reassert themselves in the AFC West.

Round 1 - Pick 10 Rueben Bain Jr. EDGE Miami (Fla.) • Jr • 6'3" / 270 lbs Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st Depending on the day, Reese and Bain could both be off the board inside the top five, or somehow still be available between picks 6-10. This has very little to do with the players and almost everything to do with how teams ultimately stack their boards. Whatever the explanation, the Bengals would be ecstatic to see Bain staring them in the face at No. 10.

Round 1 - Pick 11 Mansoor Delane CB LSU • Sr • 6'0" / 190 lbs Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 3rd Delane might not be the most athletic cornerback in this class, but he has the best tape, and it's not particularly close. He was good at Virginia Tech in 2024 and consistently great at LSU last season.

Round 1 - Pick 12 Jermod McCoy CB Tennessee • Jr • 6'0" / 193 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 1st McCoy tore his ACL in January 2025, didn't play at all last season, and chose not to work out at the combine despite being medically cleared. That will naturally raise questions, but if teams are convinced he's good to go, he'll be among the first DBs off the board based solely on his 2024 tape. Dallas needs a physical, playmaking CB, and McCoy is exactly that.

From Atlanta Falcons Round 1 - Pick 13 Colton Hood CB Tennessee • Soph • 6'0" / 195 lbs Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 37th POSITION RNK 4th The Rams need to bolster their secondary, and Hood is a physical, ultra-competitive press-man specialist with elite perimeter run-support skills.

Round 1 - Pick 14 Caleb Banks DL Florida • Sr • 6'5" / 330 lbs Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 46th POSITION RNK 7th The Ravens struggled to stop the run last season, and even with Nnamdi Madubuike at full health, there is room for a game-wrecker like Banks along the defensive line.

Round 1 - Pick 15 Kenyon Sadiq TE Oregon • Jr • 6'3" / 245 lbs Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 29th POSITION RNK 1st REC 51 REYDS 560 YDS/REC 11 TDS 8 Sadiq's 2025 tape might not have been as consistent as what he showed in 2024, but it was still really, really good. He also confirmed his high-end athleticism at the combine. Beyond his God-given traits, he's one of the best blocking TEs in the class and a difference-maker on special teams. Hard to imagine Baker Mayfield wouldn't love throwing to Sadiq and Egbuka on Sundays next fall.

From Indianapolis Colts Round 1 - Pick 16 Makai Lemon WR USC • Jr • 5'11" / 195 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 18th POSITION RNK 4th REC 79 REYDS 1156 YDS/REC 14.6 TDS 13 This would be an outstanding start to the draft for the Jets, who land edge rusher David Bailey at No. 2 and then find Lemon staring them in the face here. Lemon reminds me (and a lot of folks, it turns out) of Amon-Ra St. Brown, which is music to Garrett Wilson's ears.

Round 1 - Pick 17 T.J. Parker EDGE Clemson • Jr • 6'3" / 260 lbs Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 49th POSITION RNK 6th I think Parker is a much better player than the media have portrayed during the pre-draft process. Some of that has to do with Parker -- and the entire Clemson team -- not living up to lofty expectations in 2025. Still, he finished with a flourish and reminded everyone at the Senior Bowl that he can take over games when he's locked in.

Round 1 - Pick 18 Peter Woods DL Clemson • Jr • 6'3" / 310 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 1st Like Parker, Woods didn't look the same in '25 that he did in '24. That said, he was still frequently dominant, and I could see him going off the board 5-10 picks earlier. The Vikings have serious needs along the defensive line, so they'll happily take Woods here.

Round 1 - Pick 19 Kadyn Proctor OT Alabama • Jr • 6'7" / 366 lbs Projected Team Carolina PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st This isn't the Panthers' biggest need, but it's also unclear when LT Ikem Ekwonu will be fully recovered from a late-season knee injury, and he's entering the final year of his rookie deal. Proctor, meanwhile, is a built-in-a-lab specimen who can take over games when he's focused.

From Green Bay Packers Round 1 - Pick 20 Keldric Faulk EDGE Auburn • Jr • 6'6" / 285 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 27th POSITION RNK 5th The Cowboys land a CB at No. 12 and a young edge rusher at No. 20. Faulk measured 6-foot-5, 276 pounds with 34⅜-inch arms at the combine. At 21, he's still growing into his body, but he's flashed all the tools to be an elite pass rusher at the next level.

Round 1 - Pick 21 Denzel Boston WR Washington • Jr • 6'4" / 210 lbs Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 34th POSITION RNK 6th REC 62 REYDS 881 YDS/REC 14.2 TDS 12 I gave some thought to taking Olaivavega Ioane here, but the guard class is deeper than the WR class when talking about starter-capable talent. Boston is a long-striding, contested-catch machine who has also flashed punt-return ability, and he would be a natural No. 2 on a Steelers team that desperately needs receiving options.

Round 1 - Pick 22 Olaivavega Ioane IOL Penn State • Jr • 6'4" / 323 lbs Projected Team L.A. Chargers PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 1st Ioane is one of the cleanest prospects in the class, and the Chargers have to get better along the interior offensive line.

Round 1 - Pick 23 Caleb Lomu OT Utah • Soph • 6'6" / 308 lbs Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 3rd I talked to Lomu at the combine and he said that while he primarily played left tackle in college, he's working at right tackle during the pre-draft process. Thirty-five-year-old Lane Johnson is returning for a 14th season, but who knows what the future holds beyond that. Lomu, who is one of the most athletic OTs in this class, would be next in line once Johnson retires.

From Jacksonville Jaguars Round 1 - Pick 24 Jordyn Tyson WR Arizona State • Jr • 6'2" / 200 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 1st REC 61 REYDS 711 YDS/REC 11.7 TDS 9 Tyson has fantastic tape. The issue -- and this was a frequent topic of conversation at the combine -- is his ability to stay on the field. He has legit WR1 skills, but he's missed time with a range of injuries, both serious and minor. If the Browns are convinced those issues are behind him, he would be a steal here and a welcome addition to a WR room desperately lacking depth and playmaking ability.

Round 1 - Pick 25 Akheem Mesidor DL Miami (Fla.) • Sr • 6'3" / 265 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 26th POSITION RNK 4th I don't care that Mesidor will be 25 before he plays his first NFL snap. If he's anything like he was in 2025 for Miami, the Bears will get five fantastic seasons out of him and can decide ahead of the 2030 season whether he's worth a second contract. For now, Montez Sweat is ecstatic.

Mock Trade from Buffalo Bills Round 1 - Pick 26 Blake Miller OT Clemson • Sr • 6'6" / 315 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 22nd POSITION RNK 5th The Cardinals are vying to be the latest version of the Pats, Commanders or Texans -- a team that goes from truly terrible to the playoffs in one calendar year. Arizona will have to get the QB right this offseason, but they'll have enough picks to restock the roster and compete immediately. Landing Blake Miller here, to go along with all that fresh draft capital, almost feels like stealing. Miller can man the right side while former first-rounder Paris Johnson Jr. stays at left tackle.

Round 1 - Pick 27 Omar Cooper Jr. WR Indiana • Jr • 6'0" / 204 lbs Projected Team San Francisco PROSPECT RNK 17th POSITION RNK 3rd REC 69 REYDS 937 YDS/REC 13.6 TDS 14 We'll see what happens with Jauan Jennings in San Francisco, but Brandon Aiyuk may have played his last snap. As it stands, the WR room includes Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing under contract … and that's it. There's a need at guard too, but Cooper Jr. feels like a Kyle Shanahan-type receiver.

Round 1 - Pick 28 Kayden McDonald DL Ohio State • Jr • 6'3" / 326 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 25th POSITION RNK 3rd The Texans would love to land an interior offensive lineman here, but with Ioane long gone, they instead bolster the defensive line with the best run-stuffing defensive tackle in the class.

Round 1 - Pick 29 Ty Simpson QB Alabama • Jr • 6'2" / 208 lbs Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 33rd POSITION RNK 2nd PAYDS 3567 RUYDS 93 INTS 5 TDS 30 Some Rams fans may not love the idea of taking Simpson, but I can't say it loudly enough: fit matters. And if Matthew Stafford plays another year -- or two -- Simpson has the game to flourish in Sean McVay's offense.

Round 1 - Pick 30 CJ Allen LB Georgia • Jr • 6'1" / 235 lbs Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 38th POSITION RNK 5th The Broncos have few needs on defense, but they do need to restock the linebacker room. Allen may not be as fluid as Styles, but he's a between-the-tackles enforcer who would fit right into a Vance Joseph unit.

Round 1 - Pick 31 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren S Toledo • Sr • 6'2" / 202 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 28th POSITION RNK 2nd The choice here is to settle for OT6, WR6, ED6 or S2. I love the idea of McNeil-Warren in the same secondary as Christian Gonzalez -- two big, fast, physical, ball-hawking defensive backs.

Round 1 - Pick 32 Avieon Terrell CB Clemson • Jr • 5'11" / 180 lbs Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 2nd The Dark Side gets a new member in Terrell, who plays much bigger than his 5-10, 186-pound frame. That also means he'll fit right into a defense that was among the NFL's best last season and could lose key members of its secondary in free agency.