2026 NFL Draft: Niners Faithful First-Round Mock Draft — All 33 Picks, Including 49ers at No. 27
Two days out from Pittsburgh, we project all 33 picks in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft — with full analysis of every selection, and a deep look at what awaits the 49ers at No. 27.
It is Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The war room lights are on in Pittsburgh. In 48 hours, Commissioner Roger Goodell will walk to the podium at the 2026 NFL Draft and the Las Vegas Raiders will be on the clock. For the San Francisco 49ers — holding the No. 27 overall pick with only six total selections in their draft arsenal — every domino that falls before their name is called matters enormously.
This is our complete Niners Faithful first-round mock draft: all 33 picks, every team, every projection. We have synthesized the final pre-draft consensus from NFL.com's Eric Edholm, Bucky Brooks, Bleacher Report, Mel Kiper Jr., The Athletic, and multiple scouting databases into one unified projection. Where mocks diverge significantly, we note the debate. Where the trail converges into near-certainty, we call it.
This is a living document. We will update our mock draft tonight and publish an updated version tomorrow, April 22, as the final pre-draft intel shakes out. For now — the board as we see it.
The First Round — Picks 1 Through 33
Las Vegas Raiders
The consensus No. 1 pick in virtually every credible mock draft. The Raiders went 3-14 in 2025 — one of three teams at that record — and landed this pick to reset their franchise at quarterback. Mendoza was Indiana's offensive engine, combining elite arm strength with pinpoint accuracy and a calm, command-presence pocket presence. He's the most complete signal-caller in this class. Las Vegas doesn't hesitate.
New York Jets
The Jets canceled David Bailey's top-30 visit — a signal Eric Edholm interpreted as New York already having found their man. Reese is a hybrid edge-linebacker weapon from Ohio State whose upside is special, even if a learning curve is expected. With Geno Smith as a bridge QB and mountains of draft capital stockpiled, the Jets invest in their defense first. Reese's explosive first step and coverage versatility fit a new-look Jets defensive identity.
Arizona Cardinals
The most fluid pick of the early top five. Edholm notes that Francis Mauigoa could be Arizona's choice here, and a trade-down would be their "ultimate dream." But in our projection, the Cardinals add a certified pass-rush threat to complement their defensive rebuild. Bailey's relentless motor, bend around the edge, and production at Texas Tech make him a worthy No. 3 regardless of the positional debate around him.
Tennessee Titans
The fit between prospect, scheme, and draft slot is almost too clean to ignore. Tennessee, led by Cam Ward at quarterback, needs a dynamic backfield weapon to shoulder the offensive load. Love is the most explosive running back in this class — a do-it-all threat with NFL-ready vision and burst. Robert Saleh's new head coaching era in Nashville opens with a franchise-caliber skill piece in the backfield.
New York Giants
When John Harbaugh — who almost never attends opposing team pro days — was spotted at Ohio State's workout, the signal was clear. The Giants want a Buckeye. Styles posts a 10.0 Relative Athletic Score, a historically rare measurement for a linebacker, and projects as a coverage ace for years to come. He pairs perfectly beside Jaxson Dart's developing offense. The Giants make their franchise defense the foundation at No. 5.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland holds two first-round picks and needs playmakers at every skill level. Tate is the most polished route-runner in this class — an Ohio State product with clean separation skills and reliable hands. A tackle wouldn't surprise anyone at No. 6, given Cleveland's offensive line concerns, but Tate's upside at receiver on a team rebuilding its offensive identity makes him the best available value on our board.
Washington Commanders
Delane returns to the DMV area as a more polished corner than when he left Virginia Tech for LSU. He fills an immediate secondary need for Washington, which is trying to build a complete defense around Jayden Daniels' offensive ceiling. A trade-down is possible if GM Adam Peters gets a strong offer, but at No. 7, Delane — a local product with elite traits — is too clean a fit to pass up.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans goes offense over defense here. Tyler Shough needs weapons, and Tyson — despite carrying injury risk — is a potential star receiver when healthy. His ability to win on contested catches and create yards after contact makes him a high-ceiling investment. Tyson's upside as a No. 1 opposite Chris Olave is the kind of bet a rebuilding team makes when they believe in their franchise quarterback.
Kansas City Chiefs
Key pre-draft development: Adam Schefter reported on April 20 that Mauigoa's herniated disc is "asymptomatic" but requires careful monitoring — a medical flag that has pushed him out of top-five territory. For Kansas City, who has long-term questions at tackle after Josh Simmons missed nine games as a rookie, the value at No. 9 is compelling. Mauigoa is strong, coordinated, and a finisher on tape. The Chiefs get a potential franchise tackle at a discount.
New York Giants (via CIN — Dexter Lawrence trade)
The Giants traded DT Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for this pick — one of the most impactful pre-draft transactions of the cycle. Reports surfaced that GM Joe Schoen had dinner with Jordyn Tyson days before the trade; if Tyson is gone, as he is in our simulation, Big Blue doubles down on Ohio State talent. Downs is the best safety in this class — a chess piece who can play deep, cover slots, and blitz. New York's defense gets a genuine difference-maker.
Miami Dolphins
Pass rush remains a primary need in South Florida. Miami lands a local product — a Miami native and ex-Hurricane — at reduced relocation cost. Bain is an explosive edge rusher with first-step quickness and bend that projects him as a long-term starter. New coach Jeff Hafley gets his first impact defender to build around on the defensive front.
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas would prefer to trade down from this spot — a receiver-hungry Jets team is a logical trade partner — but in our straight mock, they stay put and grab a high-upside edge rusher in dire need of defensive front reinforcement. Faulk is a name that would be equally comfortable five picks later. Dallas could also target Jermod McCoy here depending on how the secondary of the board resolves.
Los Angeles Rams (via ATL)
The Rams hold this pick via the Atlanta Falcons and face receiver urgency with Puka Nacua's status uncertain and Davante Adams' contract running out after 2026. Cooper is Mendoza's former Indiana teammate — a physical, contested-catch receiver who fits what LA seeks schematically. Daniel Jeremiah publicly noted the Cooper-Rams fit, calling it a natural match. Sean McVay adds a legitimate No. 2 receiver.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore has present and future questions along its offensive line, and multiple league scouts have described Fano as a potential five-position prospect — an elite rarity. Fano's physicality and play style fit seamlessly into Baltimore's power-run identity, and he could protect Lamar Jackson at tackle or anchor the interior. An easy match of skill and scheme.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New OC Zac Robinson leaned heavily on 12 personnel as Atlanta's coordinator last season and brings that philosophy to Tampa. Sadiq is the most exciting tight end prospect in this class — a 9.5 Relative Athletic Score, mismatch-creator versatility, and the speed to stress defenses horizontally. Baker Mayfield gets a genuine chess piece in the red zone and on third down.
New York Jets (via IND)
The Jets own two first-round picks and use this Colts-acquired slot on the best interior lineman in the draft. Ioane is a physical mauler with light feet — he didn't allow a single sack last season — and would help protect whoever emerges as New York's long-term quarterback answer. As Edholm notes, Pittsburgh's need is similar: Ioane replaces the Isaac Seumalo void wherever he lands.
Detroit Lions
Detroit has been heavily linked to offensive tackle prospects following reports of Taylor Decker's potential retirement and his eventual release. Freeling is a highly regarded Georgia product with the frame and technique to develop into a long-term franchise tackle. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell address the blindside here, giving Jared Goff the protection investment his age and contract demand.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota's secondary needs a next-level chess piece, and Thieneman delivers elite range and ball-hawking instincts from the safety position. He is one of the safest picks in this class — a scheme-versatile defender who can play single-high, split-safety, or creep into the box. Kevin O'Connell gets a secondary anchor to pair with an offense that should be dangerous again in 2026.
Carolina Panthers
Here is where our mock diverges from some projections that have Proctor going to San Francisco at No. 27. Multiple analysts — including Chad Reuter (NFL.com) and The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner — have linked Proctor strongly to the 49ers, but in our simulation, Carolina takes him first. The Panthers need line insurance and can use his rookie season as a development year at tackle or guard. At 6'7" and 360 pounds, Proctor is physically unlike anyone in this class.
Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
Dallas swings for a second-round value on a linebacker who carries legitimate first-round traits. Edholm calls this "every self-respecting mock's one out-of-left-field pick" for the Cowboys — and he isn't wrong. Dallas needs linebacker help badly. Rodriguez's instincts, play speed, and run-fitting ability out of Texas Tech give new defensive coordinator Christian Parker a rangy, aggressive centerpiece at the second level.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh lost Isaac Seumalo to free agency and drafts in front of their home crowd on Thursday night. With Aaron Rodgers' return status still unresolved, the Steelers likely go trenches regardless of quarterback. If Ioane is gone (as in our projection), T.J. Parker — a Clemson edge rusher — provides an immediate pass-rush threat opposite T.J. Watt. Either way, the Steel City crowd gets a local-ish feel-good pick from Mike McCarthy's first draft class.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers addressed their interior offensive line aggressively before free agency. Now they turn to the defensive side and land a high-upside defensive tackle in Woods. He is a dominant interior presence at his best, and if the Chargers can keep him healthy and consistent, this is a steal in the late-20s range. Jim Harbaugh — always about the trenches — loves this type of big, physical interior disruptor.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia knows they can't run things back with Dallas Goedert forever. If Sadiq is available (he goes earlier in our projection), Iheanachor — a massive Arizona State tackle with elite length — fills another long-standing Eagles need on the offensive line. Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman always prioritize massive men in the trenches. Either pick rewards the franchise for drafting in a positional sweet spot.
Cleveland Browns (via JAX)
The medical gamble pick of Round 1. McCoy — a top-5 talent on pure film — suffered a torn ACL in January 2025 and missed his entire junior season. He ran a 4.40 forty-yard dash at the combine and his tape from 2024 showed a true CB1 with six career interceptions and the closing speed of Derek Stingley Jr. (the most cited comparable). Cleveland's second first-round pick lands on a cornerstone corner if the ACL recovery holds. For 49ers fans: if McCoy somehow slips further, he is on San Francisco's radar.
Chicago Bears
Chicago needed a pass rusher all of last season and doubles down on the edge in Round 1. Lawrence out of UCF is one of the more intriguing non-Power Four prospects in this draft — raw but explosive, with the athletic profile that teams like the Bears can develop into a rotational or starting edge rusher. The Bears' roster-building philosophy under their new regime leans into developmental upside at premium positions.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo goes receiver to give Josh Allen another weapon heading into what may be his championship-or-bust window. Concepcion has the speed and route-running chops to be an immediate contributor in Brian Daboll's offense. He's not the most physically dominant receiver in the class, but his reliability and yards-after-catch ability make him a high-floor, realistic-upside investment for a Bills team that needs to be all-in now.
★ PICK #27 — SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ★
San Francisco 49ers
With Kadyn Proctor off the board (taken by Carolina in our simulation), John Lynch turns to Utah's Caleb Lomu as his offensive tackle answer at No. 27. Lomu has drawn first-round projections across multiple credible draft databases and fits the Kyle Shanahan outside-zone blocking template better than Proctor's massive, power-gap frame at 360 pounds. At a position where the 49ers' long-term future is genuinely uncertain — Trent Williams turns 37 this year — the math of paying the premium now is undeniable.
The alternative scenario worth watching closely: if Jermod McCoy (Tennessee CB, ACL recovery) somehow slips past Cleveland and Chicago, Lynch pivots to defense and lands the highest-upside corner available. McCoy is Trevis Gibson's cousin — Gibson played for the 49ers in 2025 on a one-year deal — and any "bloodline" intel San Francisco has accumulated during Gibson's time in the building would be uniquely valuable pre-draft. McCoy's 4.40 speed and 2024 PFF grade of 82.4 are the marks of a CB1.
Houston Texans
Houston addresses interior defensive line depth. Miller is a physical Georgia product who projects well in a 4-3 or hybrid front, giving DeMeco Ryans a rotational piece capable of developing into a starter. With C.J. Stroud's offensive protection largely addressed in free agency, the Texans invest in the defensive side of a roster that needs more reinforcement to compete in a loaded AFC South.
Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR)
Kansas City doubles down on secondary investment with their second pick of Round 1, acquired from the Rams. Hood is a physical, press-capable corner who fits Steve Spagnuolo's disruption-at-the-line scheme. The Chiefs need corners — and landing a second, quality defensive back on top of their first-round OT investment gives Spagnuolo the building blocks for another championship-caliber defensive unit.
Miami Dolphins (via DEN)
Miami acquired this pick from Denver in exchange for Jaylen Waddle and uses it on a long-framed, hands-first inside/outside receiver who matches well with new QB Malik Willis' style. Boston is a different type of weapon than Waddle — more of a physical contested-catch target than a jet-speed slot — but his versatility and reliability give Miami's offensive rebuild a solid foundation heading into the Hafley era.
New England Patriots
New England GM Eliot Wolf has indicated interest in adding speed off the edge. Lawrence fits that profile — an explosive UCF product with the athleticism benchmarks New England covets. Chris Johnson out of San Diego State is another live option here; he's become one of the fastest-rising names in the pre-draft process and Bucky Brooks noted his range could extend higher. Either pick gives a Patriots rebuild its next defensive building block.
Seattle Seahawks
The Super Bowl LX champions close Round 1 with a pass-rush investment. Howell is a Texas A&M edge rusher whose athleticism and positional versatility fit Mike Macdonald's scheme. Seattle's Super Bowl defense can always add depth and youth on the edge, and Howell's ceiling as a secondary rusher behind the starting front gives the Seahawks even more margin to defend their championship.
New York Jets (Round 2, Pick 1)
The Jets open Round 2 — the traditional "Pick 33" — with a receiver to give their quarterback a slot weapon. Bernard is a smooth, reliable route runner with the burst and hands to be a Day 1 contributor in the NFL. New York, stocked with draft capital, starts filling out their offensive skill positions in this direction. Note: if the Jets moved down from No. 2 in a trade scenario, they would likely use this pick on a quarterback.
The Niners Faithful Summary: 49ers at No. 27
Here is what we know as of Tuesday evening, April 21: the board is volatile between picks 19 and 27 in a way that would have been difficult to project even two weeks ago. The pre-draft landscape shifted dramatically when the Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for pick No. 10, reshuffling how teams at the back of the first round approach their boards.
For Lynch and Shanahan, the optimal scenario is one of three outcomes. First, Kadyn Proctor slides past Carolina and arrives at 27 with his historic physical profile intact — in which case you take him and let the coaches worry about the lateral quickness concerns Shanahan's scheme raises. Second, Caleb Lomu or a comparable tackle with better zone-blocking fit is available, and San Francisco drafts its next developmental starter in the Williams succession plan. Third — and this is the dream scenario — Jermod McCoy's ACL history scares enough teams that he slides into the late 20s, and Lynch makes the call that a healthy McCoy is a top-10 talent worth the medical gamble at No. 27.
What Lynch will not do is reach. This front office has built its reputation on disciplined board management. If the best player available at 27 doesn't fill a pressing need, San Francisco is capable of trading down and accumulating capital for a draft class they currently have limited picks in. With only six total selections, every decision carries amplified weight.
The Quest for Six demands that No. 27 is spent on someone who will still be on the roster when that sixth Lombardi Trophy is raised. That standard narrows the field considerably — and it means this pick matters more than any first-round selection the 49ers have made in recent memory.
Stay locked into Niners Faithful as we continue our 2026 NFL Draft coverage through Pittsburgh and beyond.
We will publish an updated Round 1 mock draft tonight and a final pre-draft projection tomorrow morning, April 22 — the last analysis before the Raiders go on the clock.
The Quest for Six is alive. No. 27 matters. Let's ride.
Jon Camposano • Founder & Editor-in-Chief
A proud lifelong 49ers fan who grew up in the shadows of Candlestick Park, Camposano brings the analytical rigor of an engineer and the storytelling instincts of a cultural journalist to independent 49ers coverage. Follow @NinersFaithSF on X.
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