2026 Draft Boards, Position Rankings and Mocks

NoDak said:
You liked me stealing Cole Payton at the end of the 5th too, eh?
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boozeman said:


This would suck.
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You have to trade down there but I'd be absolutely shocked if the first 11 picks played out like that, it'd basically be an absolute worst case scenario.

It's interesting seeing how high he has Delane going but I can't see both him and Styles going in the top 11 picks. Styles in particular would be a bit of a ridiculous pick for Washington given that LB is about the only half decent position on their defense and how big their needs are basically everywhere else.
 
Yeah, every single year there are names we're not thinking of much who test great and rise far higher than people expect in January. At least a couple of those will happen before our pick.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
Yeah, every single year there are names we're not thinking of much who test great and rise far higher than people expect in January. At least a couple of those will happen before our pick.
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Because for the most part these teams are owned and GM'ed by people that don't really know what they are doing and allow coaches and scouts to run the asylum. The result is kneejerk reaction picks because they fell in love with a certain position or player. Like you said, it happens every year.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
Yeah, every single year there are names we're not thinking of much who test great and rise far higher than people expect in January. At least a couple of those will happen before our pick.
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Yeah I just don't think it's likely. But if it happens there are probably some great offensive players someone would be will to trade up for. And if that happens I move down and I'm happy drafting someone like Howell.

He has us taking Faulk at 20. Which is interesting. If we go to a 3-4 front he might be a perfect DE in a 3-4. His length, run stopping ability and athleticism is sort of a great fit for that.
 
One other random thought, I've been hesitant on Mesidor because of his age but given that I think we're kind of operating on a 3-5 year timeline with Dak I think I'd be fine with it at 20 given the assumption that he's an immediate contributor.

He has some medical stuff with his feet but if he were 22 he'd be a lock top 15 pick, there are times where he even looked better than Bain and of course he has more ideal size than Bain.

I'm not in love with it but I think the guy is basically can't miss as a good starter, it might only be for 5-7 years instead of 8-10.
 
The other thing at CB is that I explicitly trust Parker with whatever we do there.

Colton Hood at 12?

Definitely wouldn't love it but I'd be confident that Parker sees something that warrants the pick, although I still think it's an extremely unlikely scenario.
 
Rev said:
I cant remember exactly but the first trade was a move from 24 to 20 giving us 24, a 2nd round pick, and a 3rd round pick. The next trade was us moving from 24 to 48 and got some more picks that included the 1st. Problem is I only set it up for 1 round because it was just a joke so I guess thats why it didn't show everything.
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I'd hells ayuh take that.

20

for

48
2nd
3rd
1st next year
+ more?

yes please

You wouldn't get a 2nd and 3rd to move from 20 to 24 though.
 
Given the CB depth I think the plan should probably be to go elsewhere at 12 (or trade down) and then look at trading down from 20 with an eye on CB's in the 25-40 range, as well as possibly edge rushers unless we take one at 12.

Obviously if there's a Lamb type situation you just do that, but otherwise that's where my head is at.
 
I would love to see a scenario where Arvelle Reese falls to 12 because I then sprint to the podium and turn his card in.

Absent that, I can't say I am in love with any of the edges that seem likely in that 12 range. I liked the bit of film I watched on TJ Parker, but he's more a back of the first type unless he shoots up boards post-season. David Bailey looks good too, but he'll also probably be gone.

The others look too short and squat to me. That isn't to say they can't be good players, but, when I think of dominant edge rushers I am conditioned to think more of the Charles Haley, DeMarcus Ware, Micah Parsons types, rather than the Reggie White and Bruce Smith types. Maybe it's just because that's what Dallas's elite rushers have always been in my lifetime, but I want a leaner, speedier guy who is big enough to hold up against the run, but, leans more towards a speed rusher and can dip around the edge with a lightning quick first step. Jason Taylor, Kevin Greene, guys who are fine as 4-3 rush ends, but have the speed and athleticism to also be 3-4 OLBs.

Bailey doesn't look like that, but looks lean enough that he could be a power rush LB perhaps in a 3-4. Bain, Mesidor, Faulk, they look to me more like classic 4-3 ends and in my mind they don't look like dominant edge rushers. Perhaps more of power rushers from the end spot, but, not speed guys. I don't think they can move to 3-4 OLB as easily. Faulk looks like maybe he's a 3-4 end, even, like Chris Canty. Good player, but not gonna help your pass rush.

So that being said, unless Reese or, maybe Bailey, falls to 12, I don't love the pass rush options there. And Reese falling is so unlikely as to not really be worth counting on.

I don't love the idea of a DB either, and especially not a CB, and especially not if Delane is gone. Downs would be interesting just because safety has been a shit show for us for a while now, but he's not the ballhawking type, he's more of a box safety IMO. Still, if he's more competent on the back end than Wilson and Hooker, which hopefully he would be, that's an improvement.

Is Sonny Styles the best player on the board, then, for a team moving to a hybrid 3-4? Is he an ILB for you then? He's only 235 though.

I think my tentative idea would be to move down from 20, to 24-28 and get Parker or Cashius Howell. Howell actually looks a lot like the prototype edge rusher that I think can play 4-3 speed rush end, or 3-4 OLB, and can transition back and forth seamlessly. Recoup a second or third, or maybe also some extra later picks too?

So then what would be the plan at 12? I dunno, I think maybe move down there as well.

So let's say you move down from 12 to like 17-21. Can you pick up a second for that move? For 18 or 19, you are getting probably too much value if it's a second. 20 is your own pick. 21, with Pittsburgh, a second is not quite enough. OK, so let's say 21.

12 for 21 and 53, and a 5th (159).

Then with 20, move down to 26, with Buffalo.

20 for 26 and 91, and a 2027 5th (they don't have one this year).

So now that's

21
26
53
91
112
150
159
177

Now you go

21 CJ Allen (ILB for your 3-4)
26 Cashius Howell (edge rusher 3-4)
53 Keionte Scott (CB help)
91 best defender or OL

That's a decent start to resurrecting the defense.
 
I do think that Styles would likely be the BPA at 12 and he's a 3-4 ILB or 4-3 LB, he's not a 3-4 OLB or an edge rusher, but I think a "traditional" LB is one of our biggest needs so I'd be perfectly happy with that.

On Faulk, I think his best fit probably is as a 3-4 DE who bounces around a bit. He'd play a role similar to Canty but I think he'd bring significantly more pass rush potential while also having the size/power to stuff the run.

I'm not in love with him at 12 but I'd be fine with it, although obviously if we could trade down and get him that'd be more ideal.

At the moment I think I'd rank the top defensive players as:

Reese, Bailey, Downs, Styles, Bain, Faulk, Delane

I'm dropping Bain a bit because I think he's an awkward 3-4 fit. I think the top 4 there are pretty much set in stone for me unless something weird happens, but there's some variability with the last 3.

If Delane runs like a 4.42 I might jump him over both Bain and Faulk.
 
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