Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- If NFL Draft prospects could sign with the teams of their choice as free agents we'd see top prospects land in very different spots.
- Fernando Mendoza is going to No. 1 to the Raiders. But if it was up to him, he might prefer to take over as the Steelers' QB of the future.
- Avrell Reese is going to end up with a struggling defense in the top five, but he might prefer to join the Patriots and compete for a Super Bowl.
The NFL Draft has long been a way to assign college prospects to their professional homes. But what if it wasn’t?
“I have a proposal: Abolish the NFL Draft,” Bomani Jones said on HBO’s “Game Theory” in 2022. “End all (those) mock drafts. Scrap the war rooms. Get rid of the combine. Stop the Wonderlics. I am sick of hearing, ‘The Browns are on the clock.’ The Browns have been on the clock my whole life.”
Jones believes the draft is more owner-friendly than it is for the players, the best of whom typically wind up in disadvantageous situations.
“Owners might as well be hugging a TV they got for half price on Black Friday,” Jones said. “The NFL Draft is an annual three-day extravaganza of billionaires saving money on the help. It is televised wage suppression, with commercial breaks and a jingle. … In no other realm but sports would people tolerate a draft setting the basic terms of employment.
“Imagine if regular-ass jobs were like this. Imagine leaving college and having no say in where you work or whom you work for — at least not for 3-4 years.”
Let’s allow the top 10 prospects on FanSided’s 2026 NFL Draft big board to decide their own destinations and predict where they'd end up.
10. Makai Lemon, WR, USC — Los Angeles Rams
Lemon, who played both his high school and college football in Southern California, could decide to stick close to home and join a receiving corps that includes Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Sean McVay is very obviously interested in adding a big-play wideout to his attack — the Rams were in talks to acquire A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles — and Lemon has been linked to them in multiple mock drafts.
Adding Lemon, who NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares to Amon-Ra St. Brown would provide another tough-nosed wideout for Matthew Stafford to target.
“Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside,” Zierlein wrote.
9. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami — Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid’s team probably learned its lesson. The Chiefs will want to keep their most valuable asset upright from here on out. Patrick Mahomes will return at some point next season from a torn ACL, an injury of the likes the franchise won’t want to see happen again.
A veteran executive with past ties to Reid believes Kansas City is eyeing an offensive tackle next week, he told SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora.
“I think it could be Georgia (Monroe Freeling), or it could be Alabama (Kadyn Proctor),” that executive said. “Either of those two look like an Andy Reid left tackle. And their tackle from Utah, that’s where Andy is from. You don’t think he likes that kid (Spencer Fano)?”
In a world where anyone can go anywhere, why wouldn’t the Chiefs back the Brinks truck up for the surest thing at that position?
8. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State — Buffalo Bills
Khalil Shakir is the best option Josh Allen has at receiver right now, but he’s better served as a No. 2 wideout. Keon Coleman, a second-round choice in 2024, hasn’t developed like the Bills thought he would, leaving a glaring need for a franchise that can’t seem to get over the hump.
Tate, meanwhile, would be able to step in as a reliable target for Allen, being that his “pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking,” Zierlein wrote. “Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.”
Tate was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree last season, grabbing 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.
7. Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami — Cincinnati Bengals
It’s the Bengals’ own fault that they find themselves in the defensive situation they’re in. By keeping the trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins together, it’s hard to pour resources into the hefty deal that Trey Hendrickson commanded from the division-rival Baltimore Ravens.
By pulling out the checkbook for Bain, who recorded 15.5 tackles and nine sacks en route to a second-team Associated Press All-American nod last season, Bengals owner Mike Brown would be committing to an attempt to prop up a defense behind his high-powered passing trio.
“Note-taker, grudge holder and block destructor with a compact frame and defensive tackle play strength,” Zierlein wrote. “Bain is ill-tempered with his take-ons, hitting blockers with heavy hand strikes. … Bain’s explosive power and toughness should translate, giving him a high floor as an NFL starter.”
6. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech — Dallas Cowboys
You see, Jerry Jones wouldn’t need a pass-rusher if he’d just have paid Micah Parsons. Anyway, Bailey played his collegiate ball in the Lone Star State, close enough for the Cowboys’ owner to take notice of his abilities.
Bailey visited with Dallas after a season in which he pinned up 14.5 sacks, which tied for the FBS lead. He also had 19.5 tackles for loss and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, which is awarded to the country’s top lineman.
The Cowboys had 35 sacks as a team last season, the fewest in the NFC East. Bailey would improve their quarterback-harrassing abilities.
“Bailey is extremely hard for linemen to stay in front of,” Zierlein wrote. “He moves like a slashing two guard, blending explosiveness and fluidity to slip, bend and flow around blocks from multiple angles. … His sack production should carry over to the NFL as an odd-front rush linebacker with Pro Bowl upside.”
5. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame — New York Giants
It was just two offseasons ago that the Giants watched Saquon Barkley leave to join the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles. Big Blue fans likely still haven’t forgiven general manager Joe Schoen for letting Barkley walk.
John Harbaugh, the Giants’ new head coach, made good use of Derrick Henry in Baltimore, and while Love isn’t the same sort of rusher, he could pair nicely with the bruising Cam Skattebo. Love went for 2,497 yards on the ground and scored 35 touchdowns over the last two seasons in South Bend.
“Love is a three-down, scheme-independent player who could benefit from a complementary back to preserve his big-play ability,” Zierlein wrote.
Harbaugh will be leading a bit of an offensive skill position youth movement that also includes Malik Nabers. Love is the type of tailback that can mend Giants fans’ hearts.
4. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana — Pittsburgh Steelers
Mendoza is essentially the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback already. If he had his choice, though, it’s doubtful he’d want to take over for an offense that has Brock Bowers and not much else.
Not to mention, the Raiders are tasked with emerging from a division with the Chiefs; Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert; and last year’s No. 1 seed in the AFC. Oh, and the Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since the 2002 season.
Not saying that Mendoza runs from turnarounds — he did bring Indiana its first College Football Playoff national crown, after all — but it wouldn’t make much sense for him to run toward the grind at the next level.
The Steelers are desperate for a quarterback, waiting and hoping that Aaron Rodgers returns for a second season in black and gold. Mike McCarthy would probably love to mold Mendoza, who’s far and away the best passing prospect in this year’s cycle.
3. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After 14 seasons — all with the Buccaneers — Lavonte David retired this offseason, leaving a hole in the middle of Tampa Bay’s defense. By inserting Styles, a Buckeyes standout who ranked first in athleticism score (94) at his position at the NFL Scouting Combine — according to NFL’s Nex Gen Stats — Todd Bowles could patch it up.
Styles was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree last season, notching a team-high 82 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
“He can make an impact from multiple spots on the field and is a plus man-cover talent,” Zierlein wrote.
2. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State — Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks’ Legion of Boom has given way to The Dark Side defense. Winning Super Bowl LX came at a cost, though, as Seattle lost safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen in free agency this offseason.
Nick Emmanwori, a second-round pick last year, moved from safety to slot cornerback as a rookie and could be stuck back on the back line of Mike Macdonald’s resistance. Instead, by signing Downs, they could keep Emmanwori where he is and drop the Ohio State star into Bryant’s former post.
“Downs is an alpha who brings immense juice on each snap,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s at his best when deployed near the line as a box safety or big nickel back.”
Without doing away with the draft, the Seahawks almost certainly wouldn’t have a shot at adding Downs. You’re welcome, Pacific Northwest.
1. Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State — New England Patriots
The Patriots aren’t young at edge rusher. Harold Landry III and Dre’Mont Jones are both 29. New England tied for having the fourth-fewest sacks in the AFC last season, and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, an Ohio State product, could decide to make a splash by going out and getting FanSided’s top-ranked NFL Draft big board prospect from his alma mater.
Reese, who stands over 6-foot-4 and weighs 241 pounds, might be the most intriguing prospect in this year’s crop. He’s 20 years old and “is still growing into his frame and his game,” Zierlein wrote. “It’s under construction, but Reese has already sprouted go-to moves and rush plans that need more refinement.”
Vrabel would be of some help for Reese as he sharpens his talents. As Zierlein put it, Reese “could become a perfect storm of chaos once a defense decides how to deploy him.”
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