5th Quarter Mock Draft: Volume I

Every Friday from now until draft day, 5th Quarter Football will be doing a first-round mock draft. Volume I was kept clean without trades, even though I could definitely see some trades happen.

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Indiania quarterback Fernando Mendoza – This has been basically set in stone since the draft order was decided, and it’s a no-brainer. Klint Kubiak needs his quarterback, and Mendoza will fit right in.
2. New York Jets: Ohio State linebacker/edge Arvell Reese – Jets could really go anywhere with this pick, I think Reese is the choice. He’s maybe the best athlete in the draft, only rivaled by his teammate Sonny Styles. It’ll be interesting to see if where he ends up full time, but you have to assume coach Aaron Glenn has a plan for him.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles – Speaking of Styles, him to Arizona makes a lot of sense in my mind. Even with a new head coach, Arizona retained their defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. He’s had a “positionless” mentality the past few years there, using guys like Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons. Styles gives you the ability to line him up almost anywhere but boundary corner.
4. Tennessee Titans: Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love – I think trading down to the back half of the top 10 would be a nice move here, but in this scenario I have Tennessee taking Love. He’s a great running back prospect that transcends positional value. His combine numbers are also out of this world. Pairing him with Cam Ward creates a backfield that should be scary for years to come.
5. New York Giants: Ohio State safety Caleb Downs – Rounding out the top five is a third Buckeye, adding Downs to the safety room to pair with Jevon Holland. While he isn’t Kyle Hamilton, new coach John Harbaugh gets his own version of him in Downs, likely the best prospect at the position since Hamilton.
6. Cleveland Browns: Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano – The Browns have a lot of holes, Carnell Tate wouldn’t be a bad pick here, but Fano should be a starting lineman in the NFL for years to come. Quarterback remains a question, but taking a high-floor prospect like Fano makes a lot of sense.
7. Washington Commanders: Miami edge Reuben Bain Jr. – For a team that did a whole defensive overhaul this offseason, taking Bain Jr. would be a home run pick for them. There’s still questions on where he’ll find his calling on the defensive line, but wherever it is, he should see a lot of success.
8. New Orleans Saints: Arizona St. wide receiver Jordyn Tyson – Tyler Shough looked very solid during the backhalf of the season, giving the Saints hope at the quarterback position going into this season. With Rashid Shaheed shipped off and Chris Olave struggling to stay healthy, pairing Shough and Tyson for the future would be great for the Saints.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy – I know receiver is a popular choice here, but I believe a second or third-round receiver would still work if it means you land McCoy. After trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams, McCoy becomes his immediate replacement. He hasn’t played in over a year, but his pro day numbers are great and seems to be recovered from his torn ACL in January 2025.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Miami edge Akheem Mesidor – Speaking of replacements, Mesidor will look to be a replacement for Trey Hendrickson. Similar to his Miami teammate, his position in the NFL is still to be determined, but he can win from multiple places. He may slide down draft boards as his age is a big concern, already 26, but I could see Cinci taking a chance on him, whether that’s the right move or not.
11. Miami Dolphins: Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate – This could be Tate, Tyson or even Makai Lemon and I’d love the pick. After the departure of both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins have one of the worst pass-catching rooms in the league. Starting to build the room back up with Tate is a good start.
12. Dallas Cowboys: LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane – For one of the league’s worst defenses last season, it seems like defense has to be the pick here. Delane is a lockdown corner who should be able to close down on half of the field for a pass attack.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta): USC wide receiver Makai Lemon – Firstly, hindsight is 20/20 but even when the trade was first made I thought it was awful for the Falcons. It has somehow turned out worse than I ever imagined. Now for the Rams, they’ve talked about how they’ve shopped Davante Adams and, I hope he’s gets the help he needs, but Puka Nacua is due an extension, which should rival the contract JSN got. If the Rams don’t want to be the one to give it to him, Lemon offers versitility that Sean McVay loves.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Penn State guard Olaivavega loane – After losing Tyler Linderbaum, Ioane bolters up their interior offensive line. It’s not a flashy pick, and could definitely see them going elsewhere, possibly an edge rusher, but it’s spot they need to improve.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey – The Bucs are in a best player available spot in my eyes, which in this case is a steal with Bailey. He’s an athletic freak that should produce on the edge in ways the team hasn’t seen since Shaq Barrett.
16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis): Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell – It’s ironic that the Jets are taking a corner with the pick they got for Sauce Gardner, but it makes a lot of sense. Terrell is a great talent that will come in a start day one in New York. Going with two defensive players in the first round might upset some Jets fans, but I think he’s the best pick here.
17. Detriot Lions: Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller – I actually regret this pick because I forgot that Miller plays right tackle, which the Lions are set at, but I cannot change my mock now. Even if they don’t pick Miller, I think a tackle makes a lot of sense here.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman – If you read my Thieneman preview, you know how much I like him as a prospect. He doesn’t make it to Buffalo here, as the Vikings seem like a perfect fit for him. With Harrison Smith’s future up in the air getting a guy like Thieneman to keep the line of great safety play alive in Minnesota seems like a no brainer.
19. Carolina Panthers: Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq – After making the playoffs, the Panthers has likely my favorite offseason in the NFL, bolstering their defense with Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips. In the draft, the opt to help Bryce Young. Sadiq is truly an athletic anomaly at the position with 4.39 40-time speed at 6’3″, 241 lbs.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay) – Georgia linebacker CJ Allen – The Cowboys stay on the defensive side of the ball with their second first-round pick, this time taking CJ Allen. The inside linebacker spot is still a position of need, which Allen fills. Pairing Allen with DeMarvion Overshown should improve their defense.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa – The Steelers could go a ton of different ways, but Mauigoa would be a great pick. He likely doesn’t make it this far on draft night, but for the 5th Quarter mock draft volume I he did, making it a fantastic pick for the Steelers.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. – Interior offensive line wouldn’t be a bad pick here, but I think receiver is more of a need. Adding another weapon for Justin Herbert is never a bad idea.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren – Andrew Maukuba seems to be a starting level safety, but after losing Reed Blankenship to Houston, the team needs another safety. McNeil-Warren is a great piece who should have success if drafted to Philly. He can play in the box with Mukuba playing deep safety, where they both play best.
24. Cleveland Browns (Via Jacksonville): Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston – Even though the quarterback room is still a question mark, adding Boston to help out whichever quarterback is starting would be nice for Cleveland. If they land a top pick next year and get their pick of next year’s QB class, Boston could be the guy to grow with him.
25. Chicago Bears: Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald – For a run defense that was bad last season, McDonald should immediately fix a lot of problems. He is near impossible to move, absorbing double-teams like it’s nothing. Only time will tell if he can progress into a solid pass rusher, but he’s valuable for his run defense alone.
26. Buffalo Bills: Auburn edge Keldric Faulk – At 26, Buffalo takes a chance on an interesting prospect who has a high floor, but a ceiling that can’t be pinpointed. His massive 6’6″ frame combined with a 4.67 40-yard dash time is already intriguing. As a run defender, he’s among the best in the country. However, his pass-rushing ability is where the questions start. He has just 10 sacks in three seasons, which isn’t great. With that being said, he’s just 20-years old and can still improve greatly. If he can turn into an average-to-above average pass rusher, he’d be a Pro-Bowl level player. The biggest concern is if he can get there.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling – With the future of Trent Williams in the air, the 49ers draft his replacement with Freeling. With great mobility for his size, I think he could have a lot of success in a Kyle Shanahan offense, even if he sits for a year.
28. Houston Texans: Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods – Coming out of high school, and even prior to this season, Woods was highly sought-after as a potential top-five pick. After what could be classified as a slight dissapointment in terms of production, he still has the potential to be a game-wrecker. Slotting him into a Houston defense with two dangerous edge rushers will allow Woods to thrive in space.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Los Angeles (N)): Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell – With their second first-round pick, the Chiefs add to their defense. Howell has seen some discussions about him take off since the combine, where he had the third shortest arms ever for an edge rusher. However, if you watch him play, that doesn’t affect him. He’s a great athlete who gets to the quarterback often. The biggest question will be if he’ll be able to overcome his size at the next level.
30. Miami Dolphins (via Denver): Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood – Also with their second pick of the first-round, the Dolphins add to a bottom three cornerback room in the league with Hood. He comes in and becomes the best player in that secondary as they likely start a rebuild.
31. New England Patriots: Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor – After taking Will Campbell last draft I think the Pats could go back to an offensive lineman who would play opposite of Campbell. Proctor did play primarily left tackle in college, but I wonder if they believe he could make the switch to right tackle and sit behind Morgan Moses for a year or two while he learns.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Clemson edge T.J. Parker – The defending Super Bowl champions round out the first round with T.J. Parker to add to an already great defense. Parker would play across from Demarcus Lawrence and make for a scary front seven.