Everyone is doing mock drafts these days, or at least some version of prospect wish-casting. Here, I’ll offer a mini-mock draft, sending prospects ranked in the top 40 of the Consensus Big Board to realistic team landing spots that fit their skill sets. In other words, the players will be matched up with organizations that are picking in a range where these guys are likely to leave the board.
Fernando Mendoza, QB ➡️ Las Vegas Raiders
This pick will actually happen, so there’s no need to get cute with it. The Raiders have been wandering the quarterback wilderness ever since, and honestly during, many of the later years of the Derek Carr era. Fernando Mendoza is an accurate passer with underrated arm talent who can drive the football deep and outside the numbers.
Klint Kubiak is reimagining the Raiders offense in his vision and getting Mendoza is an ideal big step. There are some adjustments he’ll need to make at the pro level — he’s never taken a high volume of snaps under center — but in due time, he’ll be the answer this team needs at quarterback and make ceiling outcomes more realistic for the skill-position talent in Las Vegas.
Ty Simpson, QB ➡️ Arizona Cardinals
Despite his massive falloff in the back-end of the 2025 college football season, there are parts of Ty Simpson’s game that are first-round quarterback-caliber. However, the holes in the rest of the profile are too big to consider him a top-32 player in the class. At the top of the second round, he’s a much more palatable selection.
Right now, the Cardinals just can’t be taken seriously, selling 17 games of Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew going back and forth at quarterback. Simpson would at least give them a young option without the burden of being a long-term commitment, as he would if he were taken in Round 1. Simpson works the middle of the field well and drives the ball on intermediate in-breakers. Mike LaFleur will build his passing game out of those throws.
Jeremiyah Love, RB ➡️ Washington Commanders
The Commanders spent a ton of resources on both sides of the ball in free agency, with a heavy hand on defense. This earns them the right to be flexible at the seventh overall pick. Wide receiver could certainly be in the cards, even if they eventually make the long-forecasted Brandon Aiyuk addition. Yet, their backfield is stocked with ordinary options on an offense that otherwise features tons of explosive talent.
Adding Jeremiyah Love to the mix would give them a home-run hitter on the ground and a viable receiving back. Love would push to be a top-15 fantasy selection in this scenario and project for a 1,000-yard season as a rookie. This ecosystem is much better than the one that doomed Ashton Jeanty last year as the sixth-overall pick.
Carnell Tate, WR ➡️ Kansas City Chiefs
Carnell Tate is the safest projection in the NFL Draft if you’re looking for a future starting perimeter receiver. He eats up man coverage and wins on the vertical stem. Tate flashes plenty of professional route running and ball skills. Everything I’ve just said is and has been severely lacking in the Chiefs’ wide receiver room. Tate would emerge as Patrick Mahomes’ WR1 early on in his NFL career.
Makai Lemon, WR ➡️ New Orleans Saints
Makai Lemon is a slot-demon who isn’t limited to being an inside-only option. He shows an ability to win in the intermediate area and separate against man coverage. Kellen Moore’s spread-out, motion-heavy offense is an ideal fit for his talents and would give runway for both Lemon and Chris Olave to get routes from the slot. This is an offense that should be viewed as on the rise with Tyler Shough in the fold and Lemon would help push it closer to the ceiling. Landing in New Orleans would help Lemon get off to a fast start.
KC Concepcion, WR ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
KC Concepcion is “my guy” in this year’s wide receiver class. He needs to clean up drops and some sloppy catching technique — which isn’t nothing, obviously — but he is otherwise the complete package at receiver. Concepcion is the best separator in the class, makes plays in space and has game-breaking speed.
The Rams have been rumored to be sniffing around receiver options as they look beyond 2026, Davante Adams’ final year under contract. Concepcion gives them a different flavor but would be weaponized on the full speed motion concepts that litter this offense, and he already executed some of that at Texas A&M in 2025. His dynasty manager may have to wait a year for big production in this scenario but it will be worth the patience.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR ➡️ Philadelphia Eagles
Omar Cooper Jr. is a physical, tough wide receiver who wins against zone coverage and is an absolute menace after the catch. Cooper is a chore to bring down in the open field and can play the ball well at the catch point. He blocks and works the intermediate area of the field; we’re painting the exact archetype of receiver that the new Eagles offense under Sean Mannion is likely to seek out.
The A.J. Brown era in Philly is coming to a close here within the next year, if not right after June 1. Howie Roseman is always looking one year into the future. Cooper could step in as the WR2 across from DeVonta Smith right away if Brown is traded this year.
Denzel Boston, WR ➡️ Cleveland Browns
Look, someone is going to have to fall on the Cleveland sword among the pass-catchers in this class. The Browns’ wide receiver room is hilariously light and is led by Jerry Jeudy, who is not a WR1 and should not play X-receiver, which he did too often in 2025. Adding Denzel Boston to the mix would bump Jeudy back to a comfortable area and give whoever plays quarterback a big-bodied target. Boston can win above the rim but separates better over the middle than credited.
At the very least, if you’re looking to invest in him for fantasy, he’s going to a place with a massive target vacuum.
Kenyon Sadiq ➡️ Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens need to replace Isaiah Likely at tight end and add a big-bodied pass-catcher this offseason. This is a way to check both boxes. Kenyon Sadiq won’t be for everyone but he could fit an offense that’s likely to run as Ben Johnson’s did in Detroit and Chicago after hiring Declan Doyle at OC.
Both of those teams got a lot out of move tight ends, even if Colston Loveland, in particular, is a much better in-line option than Sadiq.
The Oregon product would be a weapon on movement and wham blocks in the open field in this outside zone scheme for Derrick Henry. And of course, for what fantasy players care about, he’ll step into an offense that is looking for credible targets beyond Zay Flowers.
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