Biggest Risers and Fallers in Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

The NFL Scouting Combine has long since come and gone. We're multiple weeks into the 2026 edition of free agency, and the draft is approaching.

All that means one thing: Mock draft season has kicked into overdrive.

Over the next few weeks, draftniks will attempt to predict how the first round will play out on April 23. And the Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department has never been one to miss a party, and its latest mock draft dropped on Tuesday.

There is almost universal agreement on who the first overall pick will be: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. But the unanimity dries up quickly after that.

Since the last B/R mock draft was released compared to the edition published today, the scouting department's take on who will slot where has changed significantly. At least a quarter of the round has moved up, slid down or even dropped from the first day altogether.

Do you see where we're going with this?

Riser: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Last Draft: 1.12

This Draft: 1.03

There's a general consensus that there are three edge-rushers who stand head and shoulders above the rest at the position this year—Arvell Reese, David Bailey and Rueben Bain Jr.

However, how those pass-rushers stack up relative to one another is a matter of some debate—as evidenced by the fact that Bailey went from being drafted outside the top-10 in Bleacher Report's last mock draft to jumping all the way up to the third overall pick in the most recent iteration.

A 6'3", 250-pounder who B/R's Matt Holder wrote is, "the best pure pass-rusher in the draft class," Bailey was wildly productive in his lone season with the Red Raiders last year, logging 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.

Bailey might not have Reese's ceiling, and he's a bit undersized by NFL edge-defender standards. But he has shown the ability to pile up stats against high-end competition, and he doesn't have the arm length concerns Bain does.

The Cardinals got 12 sacks out of edge-rusher Josh Sweat last year, but Calais Campbell is a 40-year-old free agent and no other player for the Redbirds had more than two sacks last season, and Arizona's 30 sacks tied for third-fewest in the NFL.

The team badly needs to improve in that regard, and adding Bailey would be a big step in the right direction.

Faller: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

AP Photo/John Froschauer

Last Draft: 1.03

This Draft: 1.07

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles was the star of the 2026 combine on the defensive side of the ball—the 6'5" 244-pounder ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, posted a 43.5" vertical and an 11'2" broad jump—ridiculous numbers for a player that size.

Per Holder, he's "an impressive athlete with the necessary skills to be an excellent coverage linebacker in the NFL and a top-tier backer in the 2026 NFL draft class."

But he's also a player who has ping-ponged all over mock drafts this year, and he's one of the harder players to slot in this year's class.

It has little to do with Styles, who averaged over 90 stops a season with 17 tackles for loss over the past two years. It's all about the position he plays—off-ball linebackers don't carry the same value on draft day that, say, edge-rushers do.

Still, if Styles does slip to No. 7, the Commanders should sprint to the podium to turn in a card with his name on it. He has all the tools to be an every-down linebacker and leader in the middle of an NFL defense for years to come, and Washington has a glaring need at the position after Bobby Wagner's departure.

Riser: DL Keldric Faulk, Auburn

AP Photo/Michael Woods

Last Draft: 1.22

This Draft: 1.15

Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year's class. The 6'6" 275-pounder has an NFL-ready frame and the length that teams covet.

Per Holder, Faulk is also versatile.

"(Faulk has) experience playing several different defensive line alignments, from a shade-nose tackle to standup outside linebacker," he said. "He's best in odd fronts as a 4i-technique and can be a base end in even fronts if needed in the NFL."

However, where Faulk lands could have a major impact on his future, especially in the short-term. While size and strength certainly aren't issues, he's not an exceptional athlete, which has led some in the draft community to project that Faulk's best-case position in the NFL is playing inside.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be an excellent fit in that regard. Granted, they need help on the edge after the team managed a mediocre 37 sacks in 2025. But the defensive tackle spot opposite Vita Vea is also an issue.

The Bucs could slot Faulk as a base-down end in their three-man fronts and then kick him inside in subpackages or even rush him off the edge in some alignments.

Where Faulk gets sacks for the Bucs matters less than the fact that he gets them.

Faller: LB Jake Golday, Cincinnati

AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

Last Draft: 1.20

This Draft: N/A

In the March 19 mock draft here at Bleacher Report, the Scouting Department predicted the Dallas Cowboys would make Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday the 20th overall pick.

"The Cowboys surrendered a league-high 30.1 points per game last season to completely justify double-dipping with defensive players in this first-round projection," Holder said. "Linebacker was a significant sore spot last year. While Georgia's CJ Allen is graded higher on B/R's board, Golday has better physical traits and the makings of being an every-down linebacker. It wouldn't be surprising if owner Jerry Jones sees a lot of Leighton Vander Esch, who Jones chose with the 19th pick in 2018, in the Cincinnati product."

In the most recent mock, though, the Cowboys went a different route defensively, selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. Allen went one pick later to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Golday fell out of Round 1 altogether.

It's not an indictment of Golday's talent—the 6'4" 240-pounder has the size and range to be a three-down linebacker in the NFL. But Dallas has needs at every level of the defense, and with Allen still on the board, there just aren't that many teams with a need at off-ball linebacker so glaring that it merits a first-round pick.

It's going to be a stressful draft for Golday. He could go in the back half of Round 1, but he could just as easily fall well into Day 2.

Riser: OG Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

AP Photo/Barry Reeger

Last Draft: N/A

This Draft: 1.22

Most offensive linemen enter the NFL with the need to refine their footwork and technique. Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon is no exception, but B/R's Brandon Thorn noted the 6'4" 314-pounder has the talent and skill set to be a starter at the next level in short order.

"Pregnon is a stout, people-moving guard with thick limbs, huge hands and a nasty demeanor, but his wide base can leave him late and stranded against movement across his face," he said. "Still, his size, experience, and play strength project him as an early starter—and if he tightens his footwork to improve sustain and recovery, he has a path to becoming an above-average starter."

It's hardly a secret that the Chargers were poor along the offensive line last year. Injuries to tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater played a part, but the guard play was bad too.

The Chargers released Mekhi Becton in the offseason and watched Zion Johnson sign with the Cleveland Browns in free agency, so the interior of the offensive line has to be a priority for them in the draft.

If the Bolts are going to get back to the postseason in 2026, keeping Justin Herbert from absorbing the beating he did last year (a pounding that left him with a broken left hand) would be a good idea.

Faller: WR Makai Lemon, USC

AP Photo/Lydia Ely

Last Draft: 1.11

This Draft: 1.16

After hauling in 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last year at USC, Makai Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the top wide receiver in college football.

B/R's Damian Parson wrote that the 5'11", 192-pounder has what it takes to do some damage in the slot in the NFL.

"Lemon is a physical matchup-centric receiver who runs and finishes through contact with elite toughness at the catch point," he wrote. "Lemon plays both in the slot and outside as the Z-receiver but projects best as a predominant slot target. His toughness, spatial awareness, and tackle-breaking prowess enable him to consistently gain yards after the catch."

However, Lemon isn't especially big or fast. There are those who believe that he is an overrated prospect, including Chris Simms of NBC Sports:

"Hey, he's got no glaring weakness, but I will say, he's not as impressive athletically as I thought. His speed and explosion are not at the same level as some of the other top guys. You know, he was featured in a wide-receiver-friendly offense, and I think because of that, that's where maybe at least in my estimation he's been a hair overrated."

Lemon is going to be a first-round pick, but his stock appears to be sliding a bit as draft day nears.

Riser: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Last Draft: N/A

This Draft: 1.26

Much has been made about the lack of high-end talent at quarterback in this year's draft class.

Just about everyone expects the Las Vegas Raiders to take Indiana's Fernando Mendoza first overall, but few analysts are convinced there is another signal-caller worth a Round 1 pick.

However, Ty Simpson has at least one champion in ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, who told Get Up that he is convinced the Alabama product is a better prospect than Mendoza:

"What do you do in moments of panic with the football? Because that's really what separates good to great. I would tell you that Ty Simpson is more consistent in that regard. There's not a ton of moments of panic out of Fernando Mendoza, and then there's moments where he immediately drops his eyes and becomes a runner. What guy was asked to do more NFL throws?...Ty Simpson, and it's not even close in that regard."

Parson and the B/R Scouting Department aren't going that far—they have Simpson as the clear QB2 in the class.

"Simpson has emerged as a top quarterback in the NFL draft class with a savvy, polished skill set that translates well into NFL offenses," he said. "Simpson's first eight or nine games was a great display of his positives as a prospect. That said, injuries and roster flaws highlighted his youth down the stretch of the season."

There are two types of NFL teams: Those with quarterbacks, and those willing to do anything to get one.

Seeing Simpson work his way into Round 1 is hardly a surprise, nor will it be one if he's drafted several spots higher than this.

Faller: Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Last Draft: 1.15

This Draft: N/A

Former Hurricanes teammate Rueben Bain Jr. gets most of the run, but Akheem Mesidor had himself a season as well last year, tallying 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.

Mesidor is not a flawless prospect, but Holder said that he can add value to an NFL team as a pass-rusher right from the jump.

"Mesidor is a very intriguing pass-rusher who combines quickness and athleticism with excellent use of hands to beat offensive tackles around the edge or across their faces," he wrote. "The 6'3", 265-pounder does leave something to be desired against the run, but will be an asset on third downs early on in the NFL."

In the last mock draft here at B/R, Mesidor didn't make it out of the first half of Round 1. But in the most recent iteration, he fell from Round 1 altogether.

So why the drop?

Along with those deficiencies against the run that Holder referenced, Mesidor will turn 25 on Sunday and has an injury history.

As much as anything, though, it could be a numbers game. On Bleacher Report's latest draft big board, there's a group of about six Tier 2 edge-rushers who are similarly valued by our scouts.

There aren't going to be seven or eight players at the position drafted in Round 1, and Mesidor's shortcomings could be enough to drop him into the second round.