2026 NFL Mock Draft: The Cowboys replace Micah Parsons, and even with no Arch Manning QBs fly off the board
The NFL world was sent for a loop this week with the news of the Dallas Cowboys trading franchise cornerstone Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. This trade also shakes up next years 2026 NFL Draft with the Cowboys becoming the third team to own two first round picks joining the Los Angeles Rams […]
The NFL world was sent for a loop this week with the news of the Dallas Cowboys trading franchise cornerstone Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. This trade also shakes up next years 2026 NFL Draft with the Cowboys becoming the third team to own two first round picks joining the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. And with so many teams needing to find a new long term starting QB the Cowboys will have a solid opportunity to use these picks to replace Parsons and find another premium player at a position of need. A pair of A to Z Sports’ NFL Draft analysts Destin Adams and Rob Gregson shared their updated prediction for how the 2026 NFL Draft will shake out following this league altering move.
2026 NFL 1st round mock draft:
1. New Orleans Saints: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
The Saints just named Spencer Rattler their starter for 2025, despite drafting Tyler Shough in the second round. They are going to be in the QB market, and Klubnik feels like Kellen Moore’s cup of tea. – Gregson
2. Cleveland Browns: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
A lot of NFL scouts viewed Drew Allar as a first round pick last cycle, and I think that will only grow this season. The Browns have two rookie QBs on the 53-man roster to start the season but if they end this high in the draft order it’ll be time to take a big swing at the position. – Adams
3. New York Jets: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
I know Justin Fields is young and signed a multi-year deal, but if he doesn’t finally take a step in 2025, the new regime in New York will be looking for their next signal caller. Sellers would bring hype that mirrors his potential. – Gregs0n
4. Tennessee Titans: T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
The Titans have arguably the worst edge room in the NFL so this pick needs to be a shot on a high level pass rusher. Clemson’s T.J. Parker is certainly talented enough to be a top 5 pick and he could potentially become a true cornerstone for the Titans defense. – Adams
5. New York Giants: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Let’s say the Jaxson Dart experiment works out in New York. You could certainly see investing at tackle or even another WR, but why not cement the best defensive line in football after you add Peter Woods inside with Dexter Lawrence and the rushers at EDGE? – Gregson
6. Carolina Panthers: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is one of the biggest potential names that can declare for the 2026 NFL Draft class. Though safety isn’t a premium position the Panthers can solidify their secondary with Jaycee Horn at corner and now Downs on the backend at safety. – Adams
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
The Raiders passed on a WR in April to draft Ashton Jeanty. They just brought back Amari Cooper, and their top option, Jakobi Meyers, wants a trade. Tate may not be Jeremiah Smith, but he’s still an excellent prospect and could be the first WR off the board. – Gregson
8. New England Patriots: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
The Patriots addressed the offensive trenches in Mike Vrabel’s first draft as the teams head coach so it only seems fitting to flip to the other side and add to their defensive line. Rueben Bain Jr. has all the tools to develop into a star pass rusher and Vrabel may be the perfect coach to get it out of him. – Adams
9. Miami Dolphins: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Miami is one of the biggest headscratchers in the league. They may tear it down to the studs and rebuild. Whether that happens or not, taking the best tackle in the class to protect Tua or whoever is throwing the football is a smart selection. – Gregson
10. Indianapolis Colts: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Anthony Richardson’s time with the Colts seems to be on life support, and if they own a top 10 pick a new GM and head coach will likely be tasked with finding a franchise QB. Garrett Nussmeier is a bit of a polarizing QB but has a ton of talent. ESPN anaylst and former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky went as far to say he will be the best QB in college football this season. – Adams
11. Cleveland Browns (Via JAX): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Browns still have one of the best corners in the league with Denzel Ward, but they need another player to handle all the premier talent along the AFC North’s perimeter. They can find a lockdown player in McCoy here. – Gregson
12. Los Angeles Rams (Via ATL): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
With the first of the Rams two first round picks they take a swing on finding Matthew Stafford’s future replacement. This may seem high for Fernado Mendoza but there’s a reason so many in the draft space are predicting him to have a monster year at Indiana. – Adams
13. Seattle Seahawks: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
DeMarcus Lawrence and Boye Mafe are the current EDGE rushers in Seattle. The team needs to bolster that unit and create more pressure to help out what might be a dominant interior pass rush. Faulk can provide that. – Gregson
14. Arizona Cardinals: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Cardinals need to get more out of Marvin Harrison Jr. this season, but they also need to add more talent around him in the room. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson would be an excellent complement to Harrison’s physically imposing play style. – Adams
15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
This one is a little different for Pittsburgh. With so many quarterbacks off the board, I went best player available. The last time Pittsburgh took an OSU LB 15th overall, it was Ryan Shazier. Sonny Styles has a lot of Shazier to his game and can be the team’s MIKE for a decade plus. – Gregson
16. Dallas Cowboys: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
The Cowboys decided to not target a RB early in the 2025 NFL Draft, and I won’t have them making that mistake this time around. Jeremiyah Love is a dynamic talent who would give the Cowboys run game a needed make over. – Adams
17. Chicago Bears: Isaiah World, OT, Oregon
Chicago continued to take skill positions early in 2025’s draft, but Ben Johnson comes from Detroit, where the trenches are the end-all, be-all. If Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright aren’t lights out, World could step in. – Gregson
18. Houston Texans: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
If the Texans went any direction other than offensive line here it would feel almost like malpractice. Francis Mauigoa is talented enough that I could see him end up being a top 10 pick. – Adams
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: David Bailey, Edge, Tennessee
The Bucs are banking on Haason Reddick to provide some juice in their pass rush this year. Given where he is in his career, finding the next dominant EDGE is paramount in Tampa, and Bailey can fit that criteria. – Gregson
20. Denver Broncos: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
The Broncos defense is one of the best in the NFL so adding to their offense to help QB Bo Nix seems like best path forward. Utah’s Spencer Fano could hear his name even higher with a big 2025 season. If he is on the board he’d be a solid replacement for veteran Garrett Bolles. – Adams
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
Donte Jackson and Cam Hart are likely to start at corner for LAC. I know Jim Harbaugh likes to attack the trenches, and they need some work along the front seven, but drafting a corner with the lockdown potential of Muhammad may be too hard to pass on. – Gregson
22. Minnesota Vikings: A.J. Harris, CB, Penn State
The Vikings defense has a mad man running it in Brian Flores who utilizes his players in ways many coordinators wouldn’t dream of. Their secondary could use multiple upgrades and Penn State’s A.J. Harris is a player I think will see his stock rise tremendously this season. – Adams
23. Los Angeles Rams: Jake Slaughter, IOL, Florida
Whether it’s Matthew Stafford starting or, in this case, Mendoza, addressing the interior offensive line by getting more explosive in the run game seems appropriate. It will offer a big life for either a rookie QB or an aging one. – Gregson
24. Dallas Cowboys (Via GB): Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge, Oregon
The Cowboys choice to trade Parsons creates a massive need at edge. To come close to the procution theh got from Parsons they need to swing on a high upside option and I think Matayo Uiagalelei out of Oregon is a player to watch rise up draft boards this season. With his talent he could become anything maybe even Micah Parsons (highly doubtful.) – Adams
25. Cincinnati Bengals: Cayden Green, IOL, Missouri
While the Bengals’ offseason was all about contract drama, the forgotten piece was the hole at guard. I’m sure Cincy could find a defensive contributor in this spot, but the team is relying on Dalton Risner to provide valuable snaps in 2025. They need to make sure Joe Burrow is upright and has a strong run game. – Gregson
26. Washington Commanders: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Commanders not adding to their CB room this offseason came as a big shock tonmsny around the NFL. It remains a clear weak spot on the roster and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell would have a legit argument to be their top outside CB as a rookie.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Boston, WR Washington
The 49ers WR corps is an absolute mess. Between injuries, contract disputes, and suspensions, the team has traded for Skyy Moore and signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Time to find another playmaker to go with Pearsall and Aiyuk in 2026. – Gregson
28. Kansas City Chiefs: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
This could very well be the last dance for future Hall of Fame TE Travis Kelce. This will make their need for more pass catchers even larger. I could see them considering TE with this pick as well but ultimately I think they should target the best pass catcher available and in this mock that would be Clemson’s Antonio Williams. – Adams
29. Detroit Lions: LT Overton, Edge
The Lions have one of the best EDGE rushers in the sport with Aidan Hutchinson, but the spot opposite of him is still unproven. LT Overton screams Dan Campbell and Detroit. – Gregson
30. Buffalo Bills: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Dillon Thieneman was already viewed as one of the top safeties in college football when he was at Purdue. Now that he’s at Oregon he will be surrounded by other high end future NFL talent and it should elevate his name to new heights. He’d be a perfect addition to the Bills defense and become a weapon on the back end for Sean McDermott. – Adams
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Stowers, TE, Virginia
There aren’t a lot of holes on the Eagles roster. Dallas Goedert is a solid TE, but Stowers could take a dynamic offense and turn it up a notch. – Gregson
32. Baltimore Ravens: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State
Last but not least the Ravens take a high upside shot at the end of the first round, something they’ve done regularly in recent memory. Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton hasn’t been in the spotlight due to multiple high draft picks pick players being ahead of him on the depth chart early in his career. But now the stage is his and I expect him to use this opportunity to have the best season of his college career. – Adams
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